VIKVV     I'KOM     THK    DUNUAS    MOUNTAIN 


Our  Picturesque  Northern 

Neighbor 


HISTORICAI.  AND   DESCRIFTIVE   SKETCHES  OF  THE  SCENERY  AND 
LIFE  IN  AND  AROUND  TORONTO,  ALONG  THE  CANADIAN 
SHORE  OF  LAKE  HURON,  IN  THE  NORTHWEST  TER- 
RITORIES, AND  IN  BRITISH   COLUiMHIA 


Enrrp:n  by 
GEORGE  MUNRO  GRANT,  I).  I)„ 

i)ii;];n's  inivi-rsity,  Kingston,  (inj-. 


LLUSTRATED   BY  WOOD-ENGRAVINGS   FROM   ORIGINAL   DRAWINGS    FY 
W.  T.  SMEDLEY,  F.   B.  SCHELL,  A.  B.   FROST,  L.   R.  O'BRIEN, 
F.  HOPKINSON  SMITH,  AND  OTHERS 


^ 


CHICAGO 

ALEXANDER  BELFORD  &  CO. 

1899 


i[>5UUU 


('Ai^.7    G,  N\^ 


Coi'VKHiirr,  iS(,.i 
15v  ALKXAXDKR  l'.I.Ll-()RI)  cV  CO. 


CO  NT  I<  NTS 


I'OkoNI'O   AM)    VICIMIV 


ikoM   roRoxio  \\i;si\\ARi) 


15y  G.   MEJ<CI;R  ADAM 


lly  J.   HOWARD   HIN-II.K,   M.  A. 


FROM    lORoXIO    ro    LAKi;    IIIROX  -  -  .  . 

r.y  A.   KI'Ml',   l.L.  ]).,  and   I'R  I  NCI  I'AI.  CRAXT,   D.  D. 


'I'llK    XORTIIUKSI':    MAMIOIJA 


l!y   I'RIXCU'AL  CRAXT,   D.  D. 


'I'lIK    NOR-l'IlWKST:    RKD    RIVI-R    lO    liUDSOXS    U.W 

i!y  R()Bi;ri   ni:Li.,  c.  i;. 
■nil'.  xoRiiiwKsr:  riiK  Mi;xx()M  ri;s    - 

Hy  J.   1!.   .M(  1.  ARF.X,    M.  A. 

TiiK  .X()Riii\vi;si':  \vixxii'i:(;  to  rocrn   molxiaixs    - 

\W  I'RIXCU'AL  GRAXI',   D.  D. 


BRITISH    COFL'MIUA 


'Af;K 


53 


159 


195 


23/ 


-4-4 


2'0'' 


liy   I'RIXCU'AL  (;RAXT,   D.  D. 


■■^-^  -i-J" -■ 


-«^.^#a..;Cv*-";  -^--r  V'- 


TORONTO    AND    VICINITY. 


'TpHE  reirrn  of  solitude  on  ihc  threat  lakes  of  tlu;  W'c'slcni  C'liaiii  has  nowiierc  ixuii 
■*•  more  pleasaiuK'  l)rokcii  1)_\'  llu,-  life;  and  ino\i'nicnt  \\lii(li  iiulicalc  thr  a|»])r()arhfs 
to  a  great  city  than  in  tin;  case  of  Toronto.  A|)[)roachcd  h'Din  the  lakt:,  what  sccnis 
at  first  but  a  hare,  lo\v-l\inn"  stretch  of  land,  risini,''  ,L;entl\-  on  the  rit^ht  to  a  dill)- 
eminence,  gradually  hntaks  into  a  panorama  of  s^reat  beaut)',  the  scctne  i^aininL;'  in 
attractiveness  from  a  frin^i;  of  trees  and  other  objects,  now  cU.'arl)-  tlistin^uished,  on  a 
spit  of  land   which   forms  a  sort   of  fi'iuler  in    front  of  the   far-sprc^adini;"  city. 

To  the  trax'eller  whose;  brain  has  been  stunnetl  b\-  the  sights  and  sounds  of  Ni- 
asj^ara,  and  to  whom  the  restful  passaL,^e  of  the  lake  has  brought  relit'f,  the  \  iew  of  the 
"  (Jueen  City  of  the  West,"  with  its  arrax'  of  dome  and  turret,  arch  and  spire,  anil  the 
varietl  movement  of  its  water-fronta^je,  is  one  that  cannot  fail  to  exokt;  pleasure  and 
create  sur])rise.  The  lens^th  of  the  passage,  and  the  fact  that  the  stciimer  in  crossini^'' 
the  lake  is  steereil  by  compass,  remind  him  that  he  is  on  his  wa\-  o\-er  one;  of  those 
inland  seas  that  separate  the  iri'cat  Republic  from  the  New  Dominion;  and  as  he  nears 
"that  true    North"  that   Tennyson   speaks  ol,   lu?    looks    out   with    a    curious    interest    for 


lo  ^VA'    PICTL  RJ-SOLli 

the  homes  and  hives  of  the    people  whose    history  and    lineaj^e,   if    he    be    an   American, 
stranjrely  recall   his  own. 

Here,  on  these  very  waters,  now  t^iven  up  to  international  tommerce  and  the 
tourist,  for  years  lloated  tlie  v.aried  craft  of  hellijj^ereiit  America  and  the  commissioned 
war-lleel  of  tlu;  Old  Land  from  which  the  noihil;-  nation  sprang'.  Merc,  on  \c.\cd  seas, 
expeditions  set  out  to  pla\'  the  oanie  of  war,  and  the  wooded  shores  of  either  side 
echoed  iIk  cannon's  tlunuler.  Hut  how  ch.in^cd  is  the  scene  I  hrom  Nonder  mound 
of  earth,  which  the  steamer  nears  to  ui.ikc  llu;  enlranct!  to  the  harhour,  a  column  of 
invaders  was,  in  i  .S  i  ;„  literally  blown  into  the  air.  'l\)-da>-,  it  may  be  said,  there  is  not 
a  Canadian  who  has  tlu;  incident  fresh  in  uiind,  nor  scarce  a  Toronioni.in,  with  the 
historic  memory,  who  honours  the  lon^-ilismantletl  fort  with  a  visit  I  \'et,  about  this  sjjot 
all  the  earlier  history  of  Toronto,  as  a  trading  and  military  post,  centres.  Here,  or  a 
little  to  the  west  of  the  present  stone  barracks  -vacant,  alas!  since  H.  M.  i;,th  Hussars 
in  1S67  closed  the  stablodoors  and  withdrew  to  I':n^land— stood  the  old  j-rench  fort  of 
Toronto,   or,   as  it   was  called  otticially,    b'ort    Rouille. 

'Idle  fort,  we  learn  from  a  despatch  of  M.  (\v.  Lon^ueinl,  d.ited  1752,  received  its 
name  from  tin;  b'rench  Colonial  Minister  of  \.\\v.  period,  .\ntoine  Louis  Rouille,  COnnt 
de  jouy.  The  design  in  (jstablishin,<r  it  was  to  (,'rect  a  rival  trading-post  to  that 
which  the  Jinti^lish  of  the;  seaboard  had  obtained  permission  from  the  Inxpiois  to  build 
at  Chouei^uen,  or  Oswego,  at  the-  mouth  of  the  .  ner  river.  i'his  blnulish  post  on  the 
Osweo-o  was  lon,o-  an  object  of  jealous  hatred  to  the  I'rench,  as  it  attracted  thither  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  fur  trade  of  th(,'  northern  shores  of  the  lake,  and  was  at 
the  .same  time  "an  assumption  of  riuht  and  title  to  the  Iroquois  territory  which  lay, 
it  was  believed,   within    the  limits  of   New    I-'rance." 

From  Choue,iruen  and  the  south-east  end  of  the  lake  many  a  demonstration  was 
made  in  these  early  days  a,<;ainst  Fort  Toronto,  both  by  the  l^n-lish  ami  by  war-parti(,'s 
of  the  Iroquois  Confederacy,  as,  at  a  later  period,  from  Sackett's  Harbour,  close  by 
Oswe.^o,  came  the  successive  lleets  of  the  revolted  colonies,  b'ort  brontenac  (  Kinj^ston  ) 
was  also.  frf)m  time  to  time,  the  object  of  similar  attentions,  the  results  <jf  which,  in 
l\\v.  chances  of  war,  were  very  variable.  -.Montcalm  havinL,^  three  \ears  l)elore  the  fall 
of  Uuebec,  cai)ture<l  and  destroyed  the  stronghold  of  Choue-uen,  while  bort  I'rontenac, 
m  1758,  surrendered  to  the  Iinolish.  With  the  fall  of  the  latter  fort  came  almost  the 
last  h(jur  of  iM-ench  hold  upon  Canada,  ami  iIk;  end  (jf  those  \-ears  of  olorious  e.xplora- 
tion  and  heroic  missionary  effort  which  have  immortalized  the  i)eriod  of  1-rench  rule 
in  Canada.  In  1759  the  Cross  of  .St.  (ieora-c;  dis|)laced  the  Lilies  of  France  from  the 
rami)arts  of  Ouebcjc.  and  b)ur  years  later  the  Treaty  of  Paris  ratified  the  transfer  of 
all    Canada   to   the    British   Crown. 

For  the  ne.xt  fifty  years  we  hear  nothino-  of  I'ort  Rouille  or  Toronto  in  militar\- 
annals.       Even   as  a  tradino--post   it  would   seem    to    have    fallen    into    disuse,   the    Missi.s- 


A  ( )A'  I  HJiRX  A  JiR.mu  )R  I , 

saguas  who    fonn,]    their    way    to    the    hike,   by    the    river    suhstMineiUly    known    as    tlie 
Hiimbt'r,   no  (h.iii)i  preforrino-  to  cross  to   I'ort   Niaj^ara    for    the   exchange    of  commodi- 
ti('s.      Hut   with   the  chxsin_i,r  years  of  the   hist  century  there  appeared   upon   the  scene  the 
man   who  was    to    become  the    founder  of    Toronto,    Lieut.-tJeneral  John   Graves  Simcoe. 
In    1701    h(;    had     arrived    at    Newark  (Nia.<,rara),   th(.-    then    capital   of    the    Province,   and 
(indint;  that  th(;  oKl    l-rench   fort   at    the  mouth  of    the  river  was  to  ix-  -iven   up  to   the 
Americans,   and   tiiat  th(;  seat  (A   I'rovincial  .i^on crnment   was  therefore   to    1)(;   "uiuh-r    an 
enemy's  nuns."   lie  determined    to  look  elsewhere   on    th(;   sliores    of    the    lake    for  a  site 
for  the  capital.        h'rom   the  still-existini,^  chronicles    of    the  period   we   learn   that,  on    his 
cruise    in    search    of    an   (diuible    location   for  th(;     Provincial    metropolis,   lu;    entered   To- 
ronto   iiay   in   th.,-   month    of    May.  1 793.  and    at    once    selected    the-    place    of    landin-— a 
spot   near   th<'   mouth   of    the    Don -as  the  scene  of    his   future  administrative;   operations, 
and    made    his    canvas-tent,    pitched  on    the    river-bank,   the  ocrm  of    what    he-    hastened 
to  call   the  Town   of  York. 

A  contemi)orary  record  happily  preserves  to  us  a  word-picture  of  what  met  the  eye 
from  the  .i^overnor's  bar-(;,  as  it  was  rowed  to  the  site;  of  the  future;  city— the  lineaments 
of  which  mii^du  well  form  the  subject  of  a  national  paintin.^-.  Colone^l  Houchette,  .Sur- 
v(;\or-(;eneral  of  Lower  Canada,  and  at  the;  time  eniraged  in  \\\v  naval  anel  luelro- 
graphical  service-  of  the  westeM'n  lakes,  says:  "Here  Gene;ral  Simcoe  hael  re-solved  e.n 
layino-  the  foundations  of  a  Provincial  capital.  I  still  distinctly  recollect  the;  uiuame;d 
aspect  which  the  country  exhibite;il  when  first  I  entered  the  ix;auliful  basin.  Dense-  anel 
trackless  fe)re;sts  Iine;d  the  mari^rin  e)f  the  lake,  anel  rellected  their  inverted  ima-es  in 
Us  o-lassy  surface.  The  wanderin,i,r  sava_«,'-e  had  ce)nstructed  his  ephemeral  habitatie)n 
beneath  their  luxuriant  folia.ere— the  .>,n-oup  then  consisted  of  twe)  families  e>f  Alissis- 
san-uas— and  the  bay  and  neighbouring  marshes  were  the  hitherto  uninvaded  haunts  of 
immense  coveys  e)f  wild-fowl." 

In  this  sanctuary  of  Nature,  Governor  .Siince)e  proceeeleel  to  builel  his  civic  and 
legislative  altar,  and  to  rear,  under  the  name  of  Castle;  Frank,  a  domestic  shrine;  among 
the  semibre;  pines  of  the-  Don.  With  the  erectie)n  e)f  primitive  builelings  for  the  meet- 
mg  e)f  the  l^rovincial  Legislature,  a  beginning  was  made  to  clear  a  site  for  the  ie)wn. 
lender  the  governor's  eye  the  building  of  the  new  capital  had  its  first  start,  anel  what 
at  a  late-r  date  was  to  be  marked  as  the  path  of  the  sword,  was  meantime  being  we-aril)- 
won  for  the  a.xe  and  the  plough.  Outside  of  the  little  clearing  the  spirit  of  the  woods 
resteel  upon  the  whole  scene,  for  the'  forests  covered  the  Pro\ince  as  with  a  garment. 
Put  the  solelier-administrator  hael  a  practical  eye  for  his  work,  and  speedily  set  the 
troops^the  King's  Rangers —to  the  necessary  task  of  road-making,  and  the  opening  of 
lines  of  communieatie)n  with  the  inte-rior.  Yonge  .Street,  an  arterial  line  some  thirty 
miles  in  length,  connecting  the  infant  capital  with  the  Holland  River  and  the  water- 
wa)-  to  the  west,   was  the;  first  and  great  achievement  of  the  troops.       Dundas  Street,   a 


li 


0(  /k    /'/CJ(h'/:SU(/: 


main    post-road    lra\ crsino-    il,c    I'roviiuc,    ami    .nivino-    access    lo    the    lari^r    ami    Iriiitfiif 
n-^ioii  of  scttlciiK'iit    in    tlic    I'ciiiiisula,   was  another  sagacious   undertaking;. 

1  liesc  .i(ti\ities,  however,  were  not  of  V^w^  cont  iniiance,  for  in  i  jcjo  l,ieiit.-l  ieneral 
Sinu'oe  was  recalled  to  l''n-l<ind,  and  the  liuildin:;-  of  the  town  and  the  o|HiiinL;  up  of 
the  Province  was  for  a  time  sta\c'd.  I'Or  the  next  few  )-ears  N'ork,  as  it  was  still  called, 
came  under  the  ailministralion  of  Mr.  I'eter  Russell,  the  senior  meniher  of  (loveinor 
.Simcoc's  executive  council,  and  who  had  pre\iousl\-  acteil  in  the  ca|)acit\-  of  Inspector- 
(leneral.  I  )urinL;  President  Russell's  period  of  office  Parliament  was  tlrst  convened  in 
the  nvw  capital,  and  it  assemhled  annuallv  throughout  his  /rx/wc,  and  through  the  suc- 
cessive ;idmini-.trations  of  C.overnors  llimter  and  (.ori\  having-  little  in  the  wav  of 
lc_L;islation    to   i;r;ipple   with,    until    the    ^nl   of    l-'ehruarv,    1S12. 

•At  this  tlate  Major-Ceneral  Isaac  Prock,  the  Provisional  .\dministrator  of  the  Pro- 
vince, in  view  of  impending  trouMe  with  the  I'niled  Stales,  called  upon  Parliament 
to  enact  two  measures  of  oraxe  si-iiiticance.  viz  :  the  suspension  of  //.//Vus  Lor/>ns, 
and  the  passin-  of  an  .'flective  militia  hill,  with  tlu>  re.piisite  -rant  to  defrav  trainim; 
expenses.  The  necessity  for  these  steps  w.as  shown  four  months  afK^rwards,  wIumi  the- 
United  .Slates  C'on-ress  ikxlared  w.ir  against  (ireat  Pritain,  and  directed  th.at  hostili- 
ties  he  immediately   commenced    hy  an   invasion   of  Canada. 

There  is  no  nvvx\  here  to  recount  the  historv  of  the  War  of  1S12--15.  -^ave  as  it 
connects  itself  with  the  fortunes  of  the  Provincial  capital,  and  with  the  fate  of  its 
heroic  miliiarv  governor.  The  war  itself  was  a  mistake,  holh  in.Hu;  motive  for  iinadin- 
Canada  and  in  the  results  exfiected  from  the  invasion.  The  hitin^q-  words  in  Connress 
of  Randolph  of  Viroinia— "  The  people  of  Canada  are  tlrst  to  be  seduced  from  their 
alle,L;iance,  and  convertc'd  into  traitors,  as  a  preparation  for  making,'-  them  .i^^ooel  Ameii- 
can  citizens  "—are  an  in^.pressive  acknowledonient  of  the  former;  the  issues  of  the 
contlict  emidiasize  the  latter.  1-rom  three  separate  cpiarters  was  Canada  invaded,  yet 
the  year  i,Si2  closed  with  disaster  to  the  American  arms.  The  loss  to  Canada  was 
l)rincipally  in  the  interruption  to  trade,  in  the  amount  of  the  war-lew,  and  in  the 
withdrawal  for  service  in  the  militia  re-iments  of  the  lal)f)ur  that  was  wanted  to  open 
up  the  country.  The  loss  to  Britain  was  the  death  on  Oueenston  Heights  of  the 
fjallant    Prock. 

Toronto  had  special  reason  to  mourn  the  death  of  Hrock.  not  only  in  his  having 
fallen  while  leading  her  citizen-soldiery  against  the  invader,  but  more  particular!)-  in 
view  of  the  events  of  the  following  year.  The  frosts  of  the  winter  of  181 2-1;,  were 
scarc(-ly  out  of  the  ground  ere  th(;  Americans  were  r(;ady  once  more  to  hurl  their 
hosts  against  Canadian  valour.  Young  Republicanism  had  not  got  over  the  acrimony 
of  separation,  r  ..  its  soldiery  were  plunged  in  a  wild  eddy  of  war-fermenl,  not  yet 
seeing  that  the  broad  and  beneficent  stream  of  progress  in  the  arts  of  peace  was  the 
true    direction    for  the   young    life    of  the  nation    to    take.       It    has    become  wiser  since; 


.\V'A'/7//:A'.\      \i:ii.lllh'N 


;    .^-'-'*'^"   '  but      tho     liloorl-hf'atintrs     and      the 

pajj^caiur)'  ot  war  wvxv  iioxcl  cx- 
citcinciUs  lor  a  iicoplc  that  had 
scarcely  risen  out  of  the  colonial 
stai;c  ;     and    there     were    dcleats    in 

the    |)re\ioiis  \car's   oiierations  which   luul    to    he    rthiced 

in   the  presence  ot    \  ictory. 


THi;     IXHU^rnON     liKOUNDS. 


H  o(  K  ricriRiisoLi': 

Unfortunately    for    the     Provincial    capital,    its    slender  defences  and    the    handful    of 
troops    in    the    t^arrison  -now    commanded     i)y    Major-Ceneral    Shcaffe— could    not    avert 
the   fate    that    menaceil    it.      On   the   25th   of  April,    Commodore  Chauncey  set    out    from 
Sackett's    Harbour  with  a   tlect  of    fourteen   armed   vessels  and    some    16,000  troops,   with 
the  object  of  capturin.i;-    I'^ort  Toronto.      The   attackino-  force   was   under  the  command  of 
Briiradier  Pike,    directed    b\-   General    Dearborn,   who    nnnained    on    board    the    lla^-ship. 
On  the  evenin.o:  of    the   26th   the  fleet  appeared  outside  the  harbour,   and  on   the  follow- 
inj^r  day  the  troops    detailed    to   attack    the   fort  were    landed    in    the    nei^t,dibourhood    of 
the   H umber   River,  and,  under  fu'e   from  the  ships,  proceeded  to  take  the  outworks,  and 
to  .scale  the  inner  defences,   which   interposed  but  slight  obstacles    to    the    enemy.      Con- 
scious of  the  weakness  of   his  position,   General  Sheaffe  had    concluded  to    evacuate    the 
fort,    and    had    already    fallen    back    upon    the    town.      Passing    through    it  with    his    few 
"regulars,"    he    proceeded    eastward,   leaving    the    militia    to    make  what    farther  defence 
they  could,  or    to    treat  with    the    enemy.      The    latter,   finding    that    the    fire    from    the 
fort   had    suddenly  ceased,  and    anticipating  a  surrender,  pushed    on    in    column    to    take 
possession.     The    next    moment  there   was    a    terrific    explosion,  and    General   Pike,   with 
over  two    hundred  of    his    command,   were    shot  into  the  air.      The    powder  magazine,   it 
seems,   had   been    fired   by    an    artillery    sergeant    of    the    retreating    force    to    prevent    it 
falling    into    the    hands    of    the  Americans,  and    the    fuse  was   lit,   from  all    accounts    un- 
designedly,  at  a  horribly  inopportune  moment. 

With  the  evacuation  of  the  fort  came  the  surrender  of  the  town,  and  its  subse- 
quent pillage— a  grim  pastime  which  seems  to  have  been  carried  out  in  the  spirit  of 
the  Revolutionary  formula:  "In  the  name  of  the  great  Jehovah  and  the  Continental 
Congress!"  p>om  this  disaster,  and  a  farther  one  which  occurred  three  months  later— 
the  result  of  another  pillaging  expedition  from  Chauncey's  fieet— the  town  was  slow  to 
recover.  The  barracks  had  been  burned,  the  storehouses  plundered,  and  the  public 
buildings  and  homes  of  the  people  had  been  laid  waste.  But  time  obliterates  old  scars, 
and  the  Toronto  of  to-day  shows  no  signs  of  that  early  conflict.  p:ven  the  animosities 
born  of  the  period  have  long  since  disappeared.  What  the  century  has  done  for  our 
neighbours  in  no  inappreciable  degree  it  has  done  for  us;  and  both  peoples  have 
reason  to  be  thankful  for  the  blessings  of  the  new  ci  qllzation  it  has  been  theirs 
so  auspiciously   to  found  and  advance. 

But  we  have  allowed  the  associations  connected  with  the  site  of  Fort  Toronto  to 
delay  our  entrance  to  the  harbour,  and,  while  plying  the  reader  with  incidents  concerning 
the  city's  past,  have  detained  him  perhaps  unduly  on  the  threshold  of  the  present. 
Before  leaving  the  historic  site,  however,  let  the  eye  be  caught  by  the  domes,  cupolas, 
and  pinnacles  that  break  the  line  of  sky  to  the  immediate  westward.  Their  presence  in 
this  neighbourhood  illustrates  the  saying  that  "peace  hath  her  victories  no  less 
renowned    than    war,"  for   here   are    to    be    seen    annually   all    the    features    of   a   grand 


Avvv'  rni-:RX  XHiciiih  y< 


IS 


> 

■s. 

G 


O 


> 

M 
O 


1 6  (HR   riLTL'RliSOrh: 

spectacle — the  competitive  display  of  the  natural  products  and  the  manufactures  of  the 
Province,  with  the  tens  of  thousands  who  thronj^  the  enclosures  of  the  Exhibition 
^rounds  to  see  "Canada's  Great  Fair."  I-'roni  our  point  of  view,  train  and  steamer 
ma\-  be  seen  rushint;  past  with  their  loads  of  living;  friMoht,  to  discharge  them  at  the 
entrance  tjates  of  the  park,  where  for  a  fortnight  each  autumn  the  Industrial  lixhibition 
Association  of  Toronto  la)s  ever\-  activity  under  tribute,  to  foster  the  airricultural  and 
manufacturing  industries  of  the  country,  to  afford  evidence  of  their  marvellous  growth, 
and  especially  to  display  the  achievements  of  the  year.  The  Association  is  now  a 
mammoth  organization,  with  a  representation  of  horse  and  cattle  breeders,  farmers, 
millers,  dairvmen,  horticulturists,  inventors,  artists,  manufacturers,  and  others  whose 
exhibits  are  scattered  through  the  spacious  and  well-adapted  buildings  which  grace  the 
sixtv-acre  park  owned  by  the  Society.  Though  the  Exhibition  is  now  held  under 
the  auspices  of  a  strong  local  organization,  with  large  resources  at  its  command,  it  is 
but  fair  to  say  that  the  credit  of  inaugurating  and  maintaining  these  annual  shows  is 
due  to  the  Agricultural  and  Arts  Association  of  Ontario,  which  for  nearly  forty  years 
has  been  holding  annual  gatherings  in  alternate  cities  of  the  Province,  to  the  great 
benefit  of  the  farming  communit)-  and  the  practical  advancement  of  the  industrial 
arts.  The  present  Exhibition  Association  was  incorpt)rated  in  1S79,  and  its  acquire- 
ment of  the  grounds  in  which  the  exhibitions  an;  now  held,  and  the  spirit  and 
enterprise  shown  in  erecting  the  tasteful  buildings  on  the  site,  and  in  adding  to  the 
amiual  attractions  of  the  P'air,  are  greatly  to  be  commended,  and  well  deserve  the 
appreciation  so  heartily  accordi^d   by  the   pui)lic. 

As  the  visitor  passes  out  from  the  grounds  b)'  the  south  exit,  his  eye  will  be 
arrested  bv  a  commemorative  cairn  or  mound,  in  an  angle  of  the  park  opening  out 
upon  the  lake.  As  outdoor  historical  records  are  rare  in  the  New  World,  and 
especially  so  in  the  modern  environment  of  a  Fair  ground,  he  will  be  likely  to  stop 
and  decipher  the  chiselletl  lines  on  the  massive  granite  boulder  before  him.  'I  hat  the 
old  and  the  new  may  together  meet  on  our  page,  we  give  the  inscription  before  pass- 
iui'-  on  to  make  the  entry  of  the  harbour  : 

"  This  cairn   marks  the  exact  site  of  Fort 

RiHiille,     conimonly      l<no\vii      as      Fort 

Toronto,    an     Indian     tra(iiriii;-|)ost     and 

stockade,  establisiied    A.  I).  1749    ''>'  '"■- 

der    of    the   ("lovernment    ol    Louis    .XV.. 

in  .iccorchmce  with  tlic  recommendations 
■    of  the  Count  de  la  (".alissoniere,  Achiiin- 

istrator  of  New   I'rance,  1 747-1749. 
Erected    by   the  CorpoiMtion    of   the  City  of  Toronto, 
A.I).  1878." 

We   now    steam   slowly  through    the    channel    and    sweep   into  the    beautiful   Bay  of 


.\  OR  THEN.  \  \  lilGlIBOR 


'7 


1 8  Oi-R   PICTURESQUE 

Toronto,  whose  features  have  greatly  changed  since  Fort  Rouille,  in  what  may  be 
called  the  medieval  period  of  Canadian  history,  stood  warder  over  its  entrance.  The 
wash  of  the  lake  has  years  ago  narrowed  the  channel,  and  made  sad  inroads  upon  that 
spur  of  land  which  long  kept  its  integrity  as  a  peninsula,  but  has  now  been  frayed  into 
islands — still  struggling,  however,  to  keep  wind  and  wave  from  exercising  their  rude 
violence  in  the  harbour.  What  "the  mountain"  is  to  the  Montrealer,  "the  island"  is 
to  the  people  of  Toronto.  Until  recently  it  was  regarded  simply  as  a  fine  natural 
breakwater,  and  the  occasional  resort  of  a  few  sportsmen.  Now,  it  has  become — to 
borrow  a  phrase  from  the  sea-coast  watering-places — "a  great  marine  resort"  of  the 
townspeople,  thousands  of  whom,  all  summer  long,  throng  the  ferries  to  its  shores,  to 
enjoy  the  cool  breezes  of  the  lake.  The  once  flat  and  featureless  marsh  is  to-day  a 
waterside  suburb  of  rapidly  increasing  interest.  From  Hanlan  Point — the  island-home 
of  Toronto's  noted  oarsman — a  beautiful  view  of  the  city  may  be  had.  The  features 
of  the  island  itself,  moreover, — the  stretches  of  v;'ater-meadow,  the  hotels,  promenades, 
and  quaint  summer  residences  on  its  shores — present  a  picture  of  varied  and  pleasing 
outline.  Lakeward,  stretching  out  beyond  Gibraltar  Point, — the  site  of  an  old  French 
block-house — is  the  great  basin  from  which  the  city  derives  its  water  supply.  The 
water  is  pumped  up,  through  sunken  mains  laid  across  the  bay  and  island,  by  powerful 
engines  situated  on  the  Esplanade.  To  the  east  is  the  fine,  airy  building  of  the  Royal 
Canadian  Yacht  Club,  a  flourishing  organization  designed  to  encourage  amateur  yacht- 
ing and  to  supply  the  means  of  luxuriating  in  the  adjacent  lake.  Still  farther  east, 
on  a  modest  section  of  the  peninsula,  now  encircled  by  the  lapping  waves  of  the  lake, 
the  Wiman  Baths  may  be  seen,  their  outline  sharply  mirrored  in  the  sunny  expanse 
of  gleaming  water  in  the  bay. 

But  the  purposes  to  wiiich  the  island  and  water-surroundings  of  Toronto  may  be 
put,  in  affording  the  means  of  rest  and  enjoyment  to  its  jaded  citizens,  are  yet  almost 
undreamt  of.  The  whole  of  the  lake-front  of  the  island,  and  much  of  the  Esplanade, 
might  be  converted  into  a  continuous  promenade  or  drive,  with  floating  pontoons 
and  occasional  jetties  thrown  out  lakeward,  and  the  necessary  adjunct  of  commodious 
hotels,  at  modest  charges,  for  individual  and  family  resort.  The  preservation  of  the 
island,  meantime,  is  a  pressing  duty,  and  the  Municipal  authorities  of  the  city  will  be 
criminally  responsible  if  they  continue  to  neglect  it.  The  existence  of  the  bay  and 
harbour  is  imperilled  by  indifference.  No  time  should  be  lost  in  protecting  the  island 
from  the  enroachments  of  the  lake.  Amazing,  of  course,  have  been  the  improvements 
which  even  recent  residents  have  witnessed  in  the  development  and  beautifying  of  the 
water-front  of  the  city.  The  contrast,  not  only  with  the  rough  foreshore  of  the  Simcoe 
period,  and  the  squalid  one  of  1S34,  when  Toronto  became  a  city,  but  with  that  of 
even  ten  years  ago,  is  sharp  in  the  extreme.  To-day  the  view  from  ^ny  elevation  over- 
looking the  bay,  or  the  view  of    the  city  from    the    water,   is  a  picture    that,  had    it    the 


NORTHERN  lEIGHBOR  i9 

accompanying  smoke  and  fog  of  an  Old  V  ork!  landscape,  a  Stanfield  or  a  Turner 
might  revel  in.  And  what  a  scene  for  the  pencil  is  a  rowing  match  in  the  harbour, 
every  species  of  craft  gliding  hither  ana  thit  ler,  or  swept  aside  to  form  a  clear 
water-lane  for  competing  oarsmen  !  Equally  fin-  is  the  view  in  winter,  when  the  ice- 
boats wing  their  arrowy  course  over  four  thousand  acres  of  gleaming  crystal— their 
frosted  sails  afire  in  the  January   sun. 

But  our  steamer  has  meantime  been  steered  to  the  landing-place,  and  she  glides 
alongside  the  wharf  to  her  moorings.  At  the  foot  of  Yonge  Street,  and  on  the  adjoin- 
ing wharves,  the  commerce  of  our  inland  waters  empties  itself.  Coal  from  Pennsylvania, 
stone  from  Ohio,  fruits  of  all  Kh\ds,  from  the  Niagara  District  and  elsewhere,  are  piled 
upon  the  wharves,  or  are  being  carted  off  to  he  yards  and  warehouses.  Here  the 
ferries  ply  their  local  trade,  and  the  tourist  sets  out  to  "do"  Niagara,  or,  by  way  of 
the  Thousand  Islands,  to  run  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  "take  a  look"  at  Montreal 
and  Quebec,  and,  it  may  be,  find  his  way  to  the  sea.  Crossing  the  Esplanade,  monopo- 
lized by  the  railways,  the  traveller  at  once  finds  himself  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  To 
the  westward  is  the  Union  Station,  the  entrepot  of  railway  travel,  and  thither,  or  to 
the  steamers  at  the  wharf,  a  stream  of  traffic  sets  almost  continuously.  Coaches  and 
cabs  are  flying  to  and  from  the  hotels.  The  street  cars  glide  past,  diverging,  a  short 
way  on,  towards  various  points.  Pic-nicing  parties  or  excursionists,  bound  for  the 
ferries  or  for  neighbouring  towns,  file  bj-  ;  and  wagons  with  their  burden  of  freight 
lumber  along,  adding  to  the  noise  and  confusion.  Massive  warehouses  and  piles  of 
buildings  block  in  the  traffic,  though  the  vista  of  crowded  streets  opens  everywhere  to 
view.  The  city,  which  covers  an  area  of  eight  or  ten  square  miles,  is  built  on  a  low- 
lying  plain,  with  a  rising  inclination  to  the  upper  or  northern  end,  where  a  ridge 
bounds  it,  which  was  probably  the  ancient  margin  of  the  lake.  Within  this  area  there 
are  close  upon  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  of  streets,  laid  out  after  a  rigid,  chess-board 
pattern,  though  monotony  is  avoided  by  the  prevalence  of  .boulevards  and  ornamental 
shade  trees  in  the  streets  and  avenues  not  given  up  to  commerce.  What  the  city 
lacks  in  picturesqueness  of  situation  is  atoned  for  in  its  beautiful  harbour,  and  in  the 
development  of  an  aesthetic  taste  among  the  people,  which  finds  expression  in  finely- 
embellished  private  grounds,  and  the  increasing  interest  taken  in  public  parks  and 
gardens.  Nor  is  this  taste  less  apparent  in  the  public  buildings,  which,  in  recent  years, 
have  been  largely  brought  within  the  sphere  of  art.  We  have  now  less  flimsj-  sheet- 
iron  ornament,  and  more  of  decorative  work  in  stone.  Individuality  is  asserting  itself 
in  the  designs  of  many  of  the  street-fronts,  which,  though  they  afford  little  room  for 
the  more  ambitious  combinations  of  the  architect,  present  sufficient  scope  for  the 
display  of  taste  and  the  avoidance  of  weary  repetition.  Colour,  especially  in  stone,  is 
being  noticeably  introduced,  and  adds  much  to  the  grace  and  cheerfulness  of  the  new- 
exteriors.       In    some    instances,  the    ornamentation,  particularly    in    intaglio   and    relievo 


20 


0(  A'  P/C7C  'RESOi  TT 


W(irk,  as  yvi  too  closely  copies 
the  architects'  patterns,  and  is  a 
far  remove  from  Nature.  (In  the 
whole.  h()\ve\-er,  there;  is  a  cr:,'di- 
table  tlispla\-  of  architectural 
taste  ami  skill,  ami,  notably  in 
the  case  of  some  of  tiu-  recently 
erected  churches,  orijj^inalit\'  and 
harmony  of  design.  The  Custom 
House,  with  its  adjoininjr  Ex- 
amining- Warehouse,  is  perhaps 
one  of  the  most  striking-  in- 
stances of  the  new  architectural 
n'ohiic.  The  sculptured  heads 
and  faces  reveal  exceptional  art 
tastt'.  The  business  done  within 
this  building-  rates  the  city  the 
second  port  of  entrj-  in  the  Do- 
minion,    and     constitutes     it     the 


TOWER    AND    SPIRE    OK    ST.     JAMES'S    CATHEDRAL. 


.\ '( )A'  y  IlERX  i^EJGHBL  )R 


21 


<,n-cat  emporium  of  the  Province.  The  vahie  of  i\\v.  present  annual  importations  is 
nearly  twenty  miUions  of  doHars,  upon  which  a  duty  of  four  milhons  is  levied, 
'riu-  amount  entered  for  exports  for  the  year  can  he  safel)'  estimated  at  between  five 
and   six   millions. 

Crossino-  TVont  Street,  which  runs  parallel  with  the  hay,  and,  from  its  proximity 
to  the  railways  and  the  wharves,  is  now  an  important  business  thoroughfare,  we  pass 
the  substantial  stone  edifice  of  the  Toronto  agency  of  the  Hank  of  Montreal.  The 
buildinj;  has  a  quiet  Threadneedle  Street  air  about  it,  and  like  the  conservatism  which 
one  meets  with  in  the  busiest  haunts  of  the  Mother  Country,  is  old-fashioned  enough 
to  preserve,  within  its  railed  southern  enclosure,  some  half-dozen  umbrai^^eous  trees, 
from  which  the  ul)i(]uitous  sparrow  pours  forth  his  incessant  chatter.  On  the  opposite 
side  is  the  American  Hotel,  and  a  block  and  a  half  westward,  on  I-'ront  Street,  is 
"  The  Queen's."  At  the  intersection  of  Wellington  Street,  we  come  upon  the  Bank  of 
British  North  America,  and  to  the  east  and  west  of  it,  are  the  headcpiarters  of  other 
financial  corporations— the  Ontario,  Imperial,  Toronto,  Standard,  and  Federal  Banks, 
the  local  agencies  of  the  Quebec  and  Merchants,  together  with  the  central  offices, 
surrounded  by  congeries  of  wires,  of  the  Great  North-Western  Telegraph  Co.,  and  the 
mammoth  warehouses  of  many  trading  and  manufacturing  tirms.  Pursuing  our  way  up 
Yonge  Street,  and  passing  the  head  office  of  the  Bank  of  Commerce,  we  reach  the 
city's  most  central  point,  the  intersection  of  Yonge  and  King,  at  the  south-west  corner 
of  which  stands  the    Dominion    liank. 

Here  the  stranger,  after  accustoming  his  eye  to  the  movement  of  the  streets,  will 
endeavour  to  take  in  the  scene  before  him.  A  continuous  double  stream  of  pedes- 
trians moves  east  and  west,  and,  in  like  manner,  up  and  down  Yonge.  Canadians  are 
frequently  twitted  by  their  cousins  across  the  line  for  the  rigidity  with  which  British 
influence  and  social  habits  are  preserved  in  the  Dominion.  The  expression,  "How 
English  is  Toronto!"  may  often  be  heard;  still,  our  English  customs  have  not  kept 
Canadian  sentiment  wholly  monarchical.  Nor  has  our  English  speech  proved  a  better 
bond.  It  has  already  failed,  in  an  earlier  era  in  the  history  of  this  continent,  to 
knit  together  those  of  one  race  and  blood,  though  the  links  of  connection  may  be 
longer  in  snapi)ing  with  us.  But  whatever  fortune  betides  the  Dominion,  it  will  be 
long  en;  Britain  and  British  ways  cease  to  be  cherislu^d  in  the  hearts  and  on  the  soil 
of  the  Canadian  people. 

It  is  not  eas\-,  even  for  the  \isitor,  with  the  sights  and  scenes  before  him,  to 
dismiss  from  his  mind  the  origin  and  national  characteristics  of  a  city,  whose  past  is  s 
intimately  related  to  a  people  from  whose  loins  its  citizens  have  sprung,  and  froi 
nation  whose  colony  it  still  is.  The  nomenclature  of  the  streets,  the  traditions  of  the 
people,  the  men  and  women  who  have  lived  in  it,  and  the  physique  and  beauty  of  face 
and  form  of  the  present  population-all  speak  of  the  motherland  across  the  sea,  and  of 


so 
)m    a 


22  OCk'    PlCTLRliSOili 

customs,  habits,  wmX  institutions  here  faithfully  reproduced.  Nor  are  the  streets  them- 
selves, and  tlv  jjuhlic  buildin_Ljs  that  adorn  them,  less  eloquent  of  thc^  old  land  whence 
cam('  its  sturd)  life.  True,  thiTe  is  no  portcullised  gateway  nor  eml)rasurcd  walls  which 
the  militar)  spirit  of  the  Old  World  has  elsewhere  reared  as  a  stronghold  and  defence 
for  the  New.  Toronto  has  neither  the  history  that  attaches  to  Ouebec,  nor  the  position 
that  has  oivcn  to  that  city  its  fame.  Hut  her  [)ast.  nevertheless,  is  not  lacking  in 
incident,  though  her  annals,  since  the  stirring  era  of  1812-15,  are  mainly  those  of 
peace.  She  has  seen  little  of  martial  lif(,',  save  the  disjjlays  ot  her  citizen-soldiery  in 
times  of  civil  embroilment,  or  in  connection  with  th(;  \ohint(,:er  cor|)s  of  recent  days. 
During  the  time  when  the  Imperial  troo[)s  were  cpiartered  in  the  town.  King  Street 
saw  many  a  pageant  which  would  have  quickened  the  beat  of  the  British  heart  ;  but 
the  sights  its  walls  have  mainly  looked  upon  hav(;  been  the  column-march  of  industry 
and  social  progress,  occasionally  varied  by  the  fevered  outbreaks  of  a  chafing  but  re- 
strained democracy.  To  scan  the  thoroughfare  to-day,  with  its  stream  of  life,  its 
almost  conofested  traffic,  and  the  stores  and  magazines  of  commerce  that  line  its 
either  side,  is  to  recall  an  earlier  epoch,  and,  with  a  smile  of  amusement,  to  contrast 
it  with  the  rude  aspect  of  its  first  beginnings.  Who  that  now  looks  upon  its  metro- 
politan characteristics — its  civic  dignity  upborne  by  ulstered  and  helmeted  constables 
making  nocturnal  notes  by  the  glare  of  an  electric-light ;  its  great  newspaper  ofifices 
ablaze  with  the  tlame  of  fevered  journalism  ;  its  theatres  turning  a  stream  of  fashion 
into  the  streets  ;  the  cabs  and  street-cars  ; — can  fail  to  cast  a  thought  backwards  to  the 
hugger-mugger  life  of  an  earlier  social  era,  and  to  the  forlorn  condition,  with  its 
abounding  pitfalls,  of  the  same  thoroughfare  in  the  primitive  days  of  "  Muddy  Little 
York." 

But  we  must  leave  these  memories  of  the  past  to  note  in  brief  detail  the  sights  of 
the  modern  cit)',  and,  turning  one's  vision  from  the  glittering  length  of  King  Street  by 
night,  to  present  some  aspects  of  this  and  other  thoroughfares  by  day.  For  conven- 
ience, we  will  find  it  handier,  in  our  notes  by  the  way,  to  describe  the  features  of  the 
town  in  two  sections  ;  first,  those  to  be  met  with  in  a  tour,  starting  from  the  corner  of 
King  and  Yonge,  round  the  eastern  and  north-eastern  portions  of  the  city  ;  and  second- 
ly, from  the  same  point  of  departure,  to  take  within  our  observation  the  places  of  in- 
terest lying  to  the  west  and  north-west.  Setting  out  from  our  central  point,  and 
passing  the  retail  stores,  some  of  them  with  fine  brown-stone  fronts,  that  extend  east- 
ward on  our  right  from  the  corner  of  Yonge,  we  come  to  Toronto  Street,  the  upper 
end  of  which  is  terminated  by  the  Post  Office,  an  imposing  building  in  the  Italian  style 
of  architecture,  finely  situated  on  the  north  side  of  Adelaide  Street.  The  central 
position  of  Toronto  Street,  and  the  proximity  of  the  Post  Office,  have  attracted  to  the 
neighbourhood  a  number  of  Building  and  Loan  Societies,  Land  and  Insurance  Com- 
panies, and    other    monetary  and   business    corporations,    whose    oftices    draw    crowds    to 


\()A' /'///■: A'. V    \/:7( '///>'(> A' 


23 


N^  4  %;**'■'   '  '^''    ^  MKTKOl'OIJTAN     (MKTHODIST)     CHURCH. 

this  and  adjoining  thorons;(hfares.  The  busi- 
ness done  at  the  Toronto  Post  Office  now 
exceeds  that  of  any  city  in  the  Dominion.  Its  financial  transactions  amount  annually 
to  close  upon  two  millions  of  dollars.  There  is  a  box  and  a  street  delivery,  and  a 
most  efficient  system  for  the  collection  of  letters  mailed  in  pillar  boxes  over  every  sec- 
tion of  the  town.  The  building-  is  constructed  of  Ohio  stone  with  a  finely  carved 
fa  fade,  surmounted  by  a  dome  and  clock,  and  over  the  entrance  the  Rojal  Arms. 
The  edifice  on  Toronto  Street,  which  was  formerly  the  Post  Office — a  fine  specimen 
of  Grecian  architecture — is  now  used  as  a  branch  office  of  the  Receiver-General's 
Department  for  the  Dominion.  Adjoining  it  are  the  Masonic  Huildings- — in  the  style 
of  modern  Munich  art — the  upper  portion  being  tlevoted  to  the  purposes  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  Opposite,  on  Court  Street,  and  abutting  on  the  County  Court  buildings, 
are  the  headquarters  of  the  Police  Department  and  the  Fire  Hrigade.  The  Police 
I'orce  is  composed  of  a  fine  body  of  men,  one  hundred  and  twenty  strong,  well-drilled, 
accoutred  and  uniformed,  and   ably  officered.     Equally  well-equipped  is  the   F"ire   Brigade, 


H 


or  A'  iicrrRi-soi'E 


an  oi'ijanizatioii  of  txccptioiial  importance  to  xXw.  city.  Tlicn;  arc  ten  lire  stations  in 
various  parts  (jf  the  town,  and  a  conipietc  system  of  t'lre-alann  signal  boxes.  Attached 
to  the  hrii:iade  are  a  hirj.;(?  nnml^er  of  hos(!-reels,  salvage  waijons,  horses,  and  the 
necessary  apparatus  for  lire  escape.  Water  is  suppHed  from  hychants  connected  with 
the  Water  Works  s\stem,  which  tap  the  mains  at  all  convenient  and  necessar\' 
points.  The  water  is  obtained  from  the  lake  at  a  point  regarded  as  bcNond 
the  contaminating^  influence  of  the  cit\-  sewaj^^e.  Recently  the  suj^^j^a'siion  has 
been  made  to  tlraw  the  city's  water  supply  from  Lake  Simcoe,  about  fifty  miles 
northward.  The  water  would  be  exceptionally  pure,  and  llu;  su])ply  as  lar^je  as 
desired  ;  while  the  fall  from  Lake  Simcoe  to  the  level  of  Lake  Ontario,  about 
four  hundred  anil  forty  feet,  would  give  sufficient  pressure  for  the  extinguishing 
of  f'irc;  in  the  loftiest  building.  Surplus  water  could  be  storeil  in  n^servoirs  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Yorkville,  anil  the  waste  turned  to  restlu'tic  purposes  in  the 
Valley  of    the    Don.       The    Gas    service  is  general,   and    is  provided  by  a    private    com- 


TORONTO    STREET,    AND    POST    OFFICE. 


XOA' ////■: AW    M-K.llliOR  25 

pany.  All  the  chk-f  streets,  avenues,  parks  and  public  places  are  well  lighted  at  the 
city's  expense. 

Rejjfaininn  King  Street  and  turning  eastward,  we  are  again  reniinileil  of  Toronto 
in  the  olden  time— a  lithographed  drawing,  familiar  to  tht?  pioneers  of  the  towns,  having 
preservetl  to  us  a  glimpse  of  the  portion  of  the  city  through  which  wc;  are  now  passing. 
The  sitt;  was  long  known  as  Court  House  Square,  and  the  picture  re|)resents  the  scene 
as  it  was  fifty  years  ago: — in  the  left  foreground,  a  pret('ntious  Jail  ami  Court  House, 
with  the  "  jxirish  stocks"  and  a  primitive  ox-wagon  in  front;  a  few  proinenaders  and  a 
line  of  modest  buildings  extending  eastward  on  the  right  ;  and  in  the  central  back- 
ground the  church  and  wooden  spire  of  St.  James.  In  this  place  of  public  resort,  the 
youth  and  fashion  of  the  town,  the  brawling  politician,  anil  many  of  the  more  staid  of 
the  populace  lounged.  Hi-re  the  political  orator  was  wont  to  hold  forth,  anil  the 
ecclesiastico-political  discussions  of  the  time  were  freely  ventilated.  11  ail  we  a  pre-hi.s- 
toric  drip,  how  rich  a  portrait-gallery  would  have  come  down  to  us  !  livery  figure  in  the 
"  Family  Compact  "  administration  would  have  been  limned, — each  successive  governor, 
the  local  placemen,  exhorters,  and  wirepullers,  and  most  characteristic  of  all — the 
rampant  reformers  and  agitators  of  the  stormy  period  !  What  a  volume  would  this 
have  been  to  place  alongside  Kay's  "Edinburgh  Portraits"  or  Cruickshank's  "Carica- 
tures," to  jostle  our  "  Hogarth,"  or  ':o  get  mixed  up  with  one's  early  volumes  of 
Punch!  Hut  the  F'amily  Compact,  like  the  figures  of  the  Dundas  despotism  in  the 
Tory  Government  of  Scotland  at  the  beginning  of  the  century,  have  not  lacked  annal- 
ists to  preserve  some  record  of  their  doings,  nor  an  antiquarian,  so  imbued  with  the 
past,  as  to  faithfully  reproduce  for  us  the  men  and  their  age.* 

But  the  rumble  of  street  cars  around  us,  and  the  graceful  spire  which  shoots  its 
gilt  summit  into  the  sky  in  our  view,  recall  us  to  modern  times,  and  to  the  evidences 
on  every  side  of  material  prosperity  and  almost  unrealizable  civic  growth.  At  the 
intersection  of  King  and  Church  Streets  stands  St.  James's  (Episcopal)  Cathetlral.  In 
the  early  days  of  the  city,  when  Toronto  was  known  as  "  Little  York,"  there  stood  a 
plain  structure  of  wood,  a  few  yards  back  from  the  road,  and  almost  surrounded  by 
the  primeval  forest.  This  was  the  first  church  of  St.  James.  It  was  described  by  a 
writer  previous  to  the  war  of  1S12  as  "a  meeting-house  for  Episcopalians."  Here, 
under  the  rectorship  of  Dr.  Stuart,  and  subsequent  to  the  year  1S13,  of  Dr.  Strachan, 
whose  name  for  over  fifty  years  was  a  household  word  throughout  the  Province,  did 
the  modest  little  building  do  duty  as  the  Parish  Church.  In  1832,  a  more  imposing 
structure  was  reared,  but  this  was  destroyed  by  fire  in    1839,    shortly    after  it    had    l)een 

*  In  the  pages  of  Dr.  Scadding's  "Toronto  of  Old,"  the  citizen  of  the  Provincial  Metropolis  has  for  all  time  a 
mine  of  historic  and  biographic  lore  connected  with  its  early  days,  which  few  cities  of  the  New  World  Iiave  been 
fortunate  enough  in  such  measure  to  possess.  To  this  work  and  its  author  the  present  writer  gratefully  ackno-ledges 
his  indebtedness  for  some  of  the  material  made  use  of  in  this  sketch  of  the  city. 


a6 


rv  A'   /'/LlLRJiSol/': 


HORTICULTURAL    GARDKNS. 


designated  a  Cathedral  by  the  appointment  of  its  rector  as  First  Bishop  of  Upper 
Canada.  The  following  )'ear,  the  date  of  the  union  of  the  two  older  Provinces, 
a     noble    building     was    erected,     surmounted     by    a    wooden     spire.      Ten    years    later, 


XOh' ////■:/< \   MiliillliOK  37 

\\\\v\\  tilt:  scoiirjrcd  the  cit)',  somc!  sparks  ij;nitcd  '.he  tower,  aiul  the  j^rand  hiiililin^ 
Diicc  more  succumlx'd  to  ihf  llaincs.  The  statel)'  p  Ic  uhicli  now  meets  the  eye  was 
l)eiiiiii  soon  afterwards  l)y  the  much-tried  conj^rej^ation  ;  Imt  it  was  not  read\  tor  occu- 
pation till  1S5;,.  I'he  i)uiidinif  is  in  the  (ioliiic  style,  of  the  earl)'  I'^n^lish  period,  and 
is  hiiilt  of  white  l)ri(  1^,  diessed  with  <  )hio  stone.  Its  ieiii^fth  is  about  two  hnndred  t(-et, 
tile  width  of  transept  ninel}-tive  feet,  and  the  heii^ht  to  the  rid^c  crestinys  ei_nhly-four 
teel.  The  huihlini;'  is  divided,  after  ecclesiastical  fashion,  into  nave  and  aisles,  with 
apsidal  chancel  and  vestries  at  the  north,  and  vestibules  and  the  L^rcat  tower  at  the 
south  v\\i.\.  There  are  i^rallerir-,  on  three  sides,  that  on  the  south  hein^'  appro|)riated 
to  the  or^an  and  clu-'ir.  Ww.  chancel  is  lilted  up  with  a  bishop's  throne,  stalls  lor  the 
canons,  and  an  elaborately  carvetl  [iulpit  and  reading  (.lesk.  llnderneath  the  chanc(;l  lie 
the  mortal  rcMuains  of  the  tlrst  Bishop  of  Toronto,  and  of  the  loiit^-lime  Rector  ol  the 
Cathedral,  the  greatly  beloved  Dean  Cirasett.  'The  tower  and  spire  arc;  the  most  dis- 
tinL;uishin^'  features  of  the  edifice,  their  combined  hi-i^ht,  includinc^  the  vane,  beiniL,^ 
over  three;  hundred  feet.  In  the  tower  is  a  costly  peal  of  bells,  and  an  illuminated 
clock,  whose;  dial,  when  ni,t;ht  llint^s  h(;r  mantle  over  the  city,  can  ')e  read  tar  out  on 
the  lake.  The  cost  of  the  whole  edifice  was  not  far  from  a  quarter  of  a  million 
ot   dollars. 

'To  lh(;  north  of  th(;  Cathedral,  and  within  its  enclosure,  is  .St.  James's  .School 
House,  and  immediatel)-  bevontl  it,  on  the  corner  of  Church  and  Adelaide  .Streets, 
stands  the  Mechanic's  Institute.  The  Institute  has  a  well-supplied  reading-room 
and  a  fair  collection  of  books,  though  the  cit)'  stands  much  in  need  of  a  well-endowed 
Public  Lil)rary,  especially  rich  in  the  department  of  works  of  reference.  lUit  literary 
institutions,  it  must  b(;  said,  have  so  far  failed  to  interest  the  moneyed  class  in  Toronto. 

Still  following  King  .Street  to  the  eastward,  we  come  upon  the  .St.  Lawrence  llall 
and  Market,  antl  to  the  south  of  the  square,  the  headquarters  of  the  Municipal  Ciov- 
ernment  and  Cit)'  Otitices.  TIere  the  stranger  will  be  less  struck  with  the  appearance  of 
tile  neighbourhood  than  with  the  scenes  and  incidents  of  the  market-place.  To  this, 
the  largest  market  in  the  city,  are  brought  the;  farm  stock  and  garden  products  of  tin; 
man\-  rich  homesteads  throughout  the  adjacent  country  ;  and,  looking  at  the  class  that 
come  to  do  business  at  its  gates,  it  is  easy  to  judge  of  the  character  of  the  Ontario 
y(;oman.  Trom  his  s[)eech  and  accent,  you  surmise  either  he  or  his  ancestry  came 
from  the  motherland.  He  is  almost  invariably  comfortably  clad  ;  his  horses  are  sleek 
and  clean  ;  his  wagons  bright  and  in  good  order ; — and  their  contents  denoting  the; 
frugal,  well-to-do  husbandman.  His  wife  has  also  a  comfortable  and  contentetl  look, 
with  the  occasional  accompaniment  of  the  tone  and  air  of  independence.  A  glance  at 
the    displays  of  the  market  would  surprise  the  bans  vivants  of  the   Old   World. 

Colborne  Street,  which  here  runs  into  the  market-place,  is  rich  in  the  historic 
social  life  of    early  Toronto.       The  first    theatre  of     York,   tradition    says,   was    extempo- 


28 


o(  R  ricrrRi-sorii 


:■  COI.I.F.GI-:      AVKNUI-;     (QV'I.KN     STKKK'l). 

rized  in  the  hall-room  of  an  hotel  wliicli 
stood  on  the  north-cast  corner  of  thf 
street.  Here  the  fashion  of  the  lime 
used  to  holil  its  assiMiihlies.  and  the 
potent,  o^rave,  and  reverend  sinrpors  of  the  town,  aloni^-  with  tlu;ir  sons  and  daughters, 
were  wont  "to  indulL,a-  in  a  little  insanit}."  The  market-place  itself  is  not  what  it 
was  in  other  da\s.  Then  it  was  \\\v.  Ma)-  I-"air  of  the  city,  the  nucleus  about  which 
all  the  rest  clustered,  I?ut  Toronto,  like  most  other  cities,  has  thrown  her  oates 
open   to  the   west,  and   is  now   makin<4'  the  ij^reater  part  of  her  pro_L,rrcss  in    that  direction. 


.\  V  )A'  riii-RX  x  I'.  I  cum  >a' 


^9 


30  OUR  PICTCRESQUE 

The  buildinsj^s  about  the  market  wear  an  old,  and  soni(>  of  them  a  dilapidated, 
appearance.  This  is  the  character  especially  of  much  of  the  town  to  the  east  of  the 
present  spot.  Even  the  C'ty  I  lall,  near  l)y,  barely  escapes  this  classification.  It  is  a 
blot  upon  the  city's  public  buildiuii^s,  beiny  no  less  unsightly  and  dingy  than  ill- 
\entilated  and  unwholesome.  It  stands  upon  ground  said  to  be  permeated  witli 
poisonous  matter,  and  some  of  its  rooms  and  offices  are  a  menace  to  life.  The  \alue 
of  the  ratable  property  within  the  city  limits  in  18S2  was  o\er  sixty  millions.  The 
population  is  87,000;  or,  including  the  suburbs,  over  100,000.  In  181 2,  the  population 
was  under  1000;  in  1834,  when  the  city  was  incorporated,  it  was  9000;  in  1850  it  had 
reached   25,000;    and  in    1870  it  was  more  than    double    the    latter    niniiber. 

In  n.'ar  of  the  Cit)-  Hall  art;  the  Drill  .SIkhI  and  .\nnories  of  th(;  local  volun- 
teer regiments,  including  the  "Queen's  Own  Rilles,"  and  the  loth  "Ro\al  (>renadi(;rs." 
These  two  crack  corps  hold  a  tn-st  rank  in  the  militia  of  the  Dominion.  liolh  regi- 
ments have  seen  service,  the  former  being  present  at  Ridgewiy,  in  Junt;,  1866,  when 
the  Province  was  invaded  by  I-'enians.  Th(,'  Queen's  Own  has  the  largest  muster-roll, 
and  is  generally  admitted  to  be  tht;  best  drilled  and  most  completel\'  e(|uii)|)ed  ri-giment 
in  the  Canadian  militia.  The  city  has  a  well-appointed  troop  of  Cavalry,  the  (iov- 
ernor-General's  Body  Guard  ;  and  a  iMeld  Battery  of  artillery.  The  headquarters  of 
both  troop  and  battery  are  at  the  old   Fort,  on   the  Garrison   Common. 

To  the  eastward  of  our  present  halting-|)lace,  there  is  not  much  to  interest  the 
sight-seer,  unless  he  has  the  tastes  of  an  antifpiary.  The  region  that  lies  betwet-n  the 
St.  Lawrence  Hall  and  the  Don  River  is  the  original  site  of  the  town  ;  and  soinc  of 
the  decrepit  buildings  of  the  district  were  once  the  homes  of  its  wealth  and  fashion. 
In  the  names  of  the  streets  of  the  neighbourhood — Caroline,  Duke,  Duchess,  George, 
Princes,  antl  P'rederick — the  loyalty  of  the  "first  settlers"  to  the  Hanoverian  1  )\nastv, 
and  other  members  of  tlu?  royal  house,  finds  expression.  What  inspired  the  (■()m|)li- 
ments,  the  Historiographer  of  Toronto  reminds  us,  was  the  fact  that  "when  the 
Canadian  town  of  York  was  first  projected,  tlie  marriage  of  the  I)uk('  of  York  with 
the  daughter  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  Frederica  Charlotta,  had  only  recently  been  rele- 
l)rat(xl."  In  the  designation  of  Parliament  .Str(!et  local  associations  conn(;cted  with  the 
P'irsi  Parliament  of  the  Province;  are  jjerpetuated.  Tlie  site  of  the  primitive  West- 
minster is  near  b\-,  though  now  denudcul  of  the  (me  grove  of  forest  trees  which  once 
ox-ersliadowed  it.  P'or  a  i)eriod  of  nearly  thirty  years,  interrupt(;tl  for  a  time  b\  the 
biu-niiiu,  in  [81;,  of  the  buildings  b\'  the  .Americans,  the  laws  of  the  vouni''  Province 
were  (Miacted  within  its  walls.  .Again,  in  1S24,  the  Parliament  Buildings  fell  a  xictim  to 
tire,  after  which  the;  Legislature  moved  westw.ird,  and  what  is  now  known  as  the  OKI 
I  ail  occujjied  the  site.  Still  eastward,  on  I'^ront,  or  as  it  was  then  styled,  Palace 
Strei't,  stood  Russell  Abb(;y,  the  residence  of  am:  of  the  Goxernors  of  the  Province; 
anil    from    this    neighliourhood,   now    in   the    grip  of    the    railways,   the    City   Gas  Works, 


AOA  TllliKX  NEIGHBOR 


3' 


fh^^ 


and  a  inammoth  Distillery,   a  bridle         \  ' 
path     throuo;h     the     forest     led     to 
Castle   JM-ank,  CJovermn-  Sinicoe's  Chateau 
on   the    1  )oii. 

'riirnin<;'  up  Berkeley,  we  come  ajrain 
u[)oii  KiiiL;'  Street,  the  continuation  of  which  to  the  east,  sixty  years  a_i;o,  was  locally 
known  as  "the  road  to  Ouel)ec."  In  1S17  communication  1)\-  staqc  was  estahlished 
l)etween  \'ork  and  Kingston,  and  from  the;  latter  point  on  to  Montreal  and  the  ancient 
ca|)ital.  The  staL;e  servict-  between  the  two  formcM-  points  was  a  weekly  one  ;  aiid  with 
an  allowance  of  twent\-  pounds  of  lui^'^a^e  one;  could  secure  a  seat  on  the  lumbering' 
vehicle  for  the  sum  of  eii^hteen  dollars.  The  incomiii!,;-  of  a  mail  from  Lower  Canada 
usetl  then  to  be  advertised  in  the  (.iazclU\  and  the  annual  arrival  of  postal  matter  from 
I'^ii'^land  was  an  event  in  the  life;  of  the  infant  settlement.  I'ursuini;  our  way  east- 
wanl,  we  come  to  the  bridge  over  the  Don,  whose  slow-footed  stream  trails  its  sinuous 
length  at  the  foijl  of  the  pictures([ue  heights  to  the  north  of  tlu;  roail,  clad  with  s|)arse 
but  L^rand  old  trees.  Below  the  liridi^e.  the-  river  trends  off  to  the  westward,  and 
mi\(;s  its  dull  waters  with  the  ri;eds  which,  with  the  detritus  of  the  island,  shoal  the 
eastern  (^\\(\   of  the   harbour. 

A   short  drive   beyond   the    Don,   throuirh    Leslieville,   the    pleasant    site    of    extensive 


32 


OCR   PlCl  I'RF.SOrH 


niaiket  i^ardiMis,  hriiis^s  us  to  Xorwa}-,  W-n  Lamoml,  and  the;  coiiimaiulInL;  clcxation  of 
Scarboro'  IlcMt,dits.  On  the  road  hilhcr,  on  some  l)ri!^ht  suniincr  afternoon,  may  Ix: 
seen  tlic  Toronto  Hunt  Cluh,  c'oui'sin<;-  o\(T  hill  and  daK' ;  or,  it  nia\'  he  a  line  of 
racini;'  horses  and  trotting'  vehicles  hastening;'  to  the  drixini^-courst;  at  W'oodhini;  I'ark. 
Close  hy  is  X'ictoria  I'ark,  a  resort  in  summer  of  the  to\vns|)('0|)le,  and  which  is  L;(-'ner- 
ally  rcachiHl  l>y  \va\'  of  the  lake.  At  Norway  an  e.\tensi\-e  tract  of  sunlit  xcrdure  and 
gleamiiiL;'  wau-r  is  spread  l)ef(jre  tlu;  vw.  ()n  the  one  hanil  is  seen  Lake  ( )ntario, 
stretchinn'  heyonil  th(;  ranoe  of  vision  into  the  blue  ;  on  the  other,  out;  of  the  fairest 
agricultural  districts  in  the  l'ro\ince,  doltcnl  here  and  there  with  comfortable  farmdiouses 
and  magnit'iccMit  farms.  Along-  the  rim  of  the  lake  lies  the  Queen  Cit\-,  whose  distant 
features  the  artist  has  clexerly  caught  ami  turned  to  pictorial  account.  In  the  foregroiutd, 
nestles  here  antl   there   the   residence    of    some    wealthv  citizen,   who    believes    that   "  C^od 


KING    STKELr,     WEST. 


\(  )A'  TllliRX  X /-:/(, I //iOR 


33 


made  ihc  country  and  man  made  the  town,"  ami  has  moved  out  to  where  lie  can  hear 
the  wiltl  Ijirds  sin^-  in   the  <n-oves,   and  I)e  fannetl   by  the  untainted    breezes  of    the  hike. 

Retrain  in  i^-  tiie  Don,  we  direct  our  steps  northward,  and  passinjj^  by  Riversitle, 
anothi-r  outllow  of  the  cit\-,  and  by  the  tine  iniildino^s  and  adjoinin^i^  farm  of  tlie  New- 
Jail,  we  continue  our  ramble  throu,i;h  the  woods  in  the  direction  of  Yorkvillc.  Here 
it  is  desi^neil  to  utilize  the  _L;reat  natural  beauties  of  the  place  by  layin_t^  out  a 
sej^mient  of  a  cordon  of  parks,  which  it  is  hoped  will  one  day  surround  the  cit)-.  In 
th(;  nei^hijourhood  of  the  jail,  a  bridj^ije  crosses  the  Don  and  connects  with  the  eastern 
end  of  Cjerrard  Strc:et.  Situated  on  the  latter  is  the  large  building  of  the  Cieneral 
Hospital,  and,  what  must  be  to  the  poor  patient  in  its  wards  in  unpleasantly  sugges- 
tive proximit),   the   Medical   Schools,   with   their  dissecting  rooms. 

On  the  heights  which  we  pass  to  the  left,  lie  two  of  the  city  cemeteries.  Here 
sleep  many  of  "the  rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet" — the  old  time  "Little  York;"  and 
the  sombre  pines  sing  the  recjuiem  of  peace.  In  scarce  a  lovelier  spot  could  sorrow 
come  to  drop  a  tear,  or  love's  footsteps  hasten   to  strew  the  flowers  of  regret. 

Hut  we  move  on  round  the  hill  towards  the  picturesque  environs  of  Rosedale. 
Here  the  twin  valleys  of  the  Don  have  been  spanned  by  graceful  bridges,  and  the 
tinely-wooded  plateau  has  been  opened  up  for  suburban  settlement.  To  the  west  is 
the  incorporated  village  of  Yorkville,  the  most  important  of  the  city's  outlying  districts. 
To  the  north  is  Deer  Park,  another  ])retty  off-shoot  of  the  town,  the  beautiful  cemetery 
of  Mount  Pleasant,  antl  the  extended  line  of  Yonge  Street,  the  great  highway  through 
the  Countv  of  York.  In  this  neiafhbfjurhood  stood  the  famous  "  Montuomer\'s 
Tavern,  '  the  rendezvous  of  Lyon  MacKenzie's  insurgent  force,  and  near  by  is  the 
scene  ot   the  brief  action  at  Gallows   Hill. 

Returning  within  the  limits  of  the  citv,  the  stranger  will  note  the  tine  avenue  of 
Hloor  .Street,  and  tlu;  elegant  residences  on  many  of  the  streets  that  branch  southward 
from  it.  Of  these  .Sherbourne  and  Jarvis  .Streets  are  the  most  attractive  ;  Jarvis,  with 
its  hamlsome  \illas  and  fiiu;  boulevards,  presenting  a  stately  appearance.  At  the  corner 
of  W  ellesk'y  and  Jarvis  are  the;  grounds  of  the  Toronto  Lacrosse  Club,  a  favourite 
resort  of  tlv;  athletic  xouth  of  the  town,  and,  on  gala  days,  of  their  fair  admirers. 
The;  \\v\(\  is  kept  in  tine  order.  Upon  it  inan\-  an  exciting  contest  has  takcMi  ()lace 
betwcH'ii  tile  local  and  outside  clubs,  the  home  team  generally  succeeding  in  carrying 
off  the  laurels. 

Di'cending  Jarvis  .Street,  several  handsome  churches,  built  for  the  most  part  of  a 
delicate  pink  stone,  with  white  dressings,  add  greatly  to  the  grace  ami  beauty  of  this 
thoroughfare,  A  little  wa\'  down  are  the  commodious  buildings  of  the  Collegiate  Insti- 
tute, the  historic  (irammar  School  of  Toronto,  and  one  of  the  best  and  most  efficient 
af  the  Secondary  Schools  of  the   Province. 

Occupying    a    square     in    the     immediate    vicinity    are    the     Horticultural     Gardens, 


L 


34 


OCR   riCTURIiSOLE 


LIKUT.-r.nVl'.KNOR'S     RKSIOKXCK. 

tht'  shrine  of  IHora,  and  in 
some  respects  the  most  at- 
tractive resort  in  the  city. 
The  (iardens  cover  an  area 
of  ten  acres,  ami  are  hiicl 
out  with  taste,  ami  with  a 
fine  eye  for  floral  adornmcMit. 
They  are  open  to  tlie  i)uhlic  from  6  a.m.  until  dusk.  Within  the  enclosure  is  tlie 
Pavilion,  a  tastefully  desiirncd  concert  room,  with  promenade  Iialconies  and  an  arbore- 
tum. The  Gardens  were  opc^ned  in  r86o  1)\-  11.  R.  II.  the  i'rince  of  Wales,  on  tlie 
occasion  of  his  visit  to  Canada.  The  yount;-  maple  which  he  planted  to  commemorate 
the  event  has  since  ^rown   to  a  gootlly  tree. 


ST.     ANIIRIAV'S     eHURCU. 


In  the  centre  of  St.  James  Square,  a  short  distance;  westward,  is  the  pile  of  build- 
ings, of  white  brick,  with  stone  dressings,  devoted  to  \.\w.  purposes  of  the  Department 
of  Education  for  Ontario,  including  the  Normal  antl  Model  School  P)uildings.  On  the 
Gould  Street  front  are  tastefully  laid  out  grounds,  parterres  bright  with  flowering 
plants,  relievetl  by  trees,  shrubs,  and  statuarj',  with  c(>n\t'ni(MU  ap[)roaches  from  the 
south,  east,  and  west.  The  main  building  has  a  frontage  of  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
four  ft'ct,  with  a  depth  at  the  llanks  of  eighty-l'ive  feet,  and  is  two  storeys  in  height. 
The  fafixdc  is  in  the  Roman  Doric  ortler,  of  Palladium  character,  having  for  its  centre 
four  stone  pilasters  tlu;  full  height  of  the  building,  with  pediment,  surmounted  b\'  an 
open  Doric  cupola.  The  corner-stone  of  the  edifice  was  laid  in  July,  1S51,  b)'  I  lis 
Hxcellenc)',  the  luirl  of  Elgin,  the  then  Governor-General.  Passing  in  at  the  main 
entrance  the  visitor  finds  himself  in  a  large  hall,  intersected  by  a  corridor,  the  entire 
length  of  the  building.  Op[)osite  the  entrance  is  a  semi-circular  theatre  or  lecture- 
room,  with  busts  of  notable  personages  on  brackets  round  tlu;  walls.  Tiie  lower  lloor 
is  used  as  offices  by  the  Minister  of  Education,  by  the  officials  of  the  Department,  and 
by  the  members  of  the  Educational  Council.  Here,  also,  are  th(;  lecture-rooms  and 
ateliers  of  the  Ontario  School  of  Art,  an  institution  that  is  very  appreciably  aiding  the 
dissemination  of  art-taste  in  the  community.  On  the  upper  floor  is  a  large  and  miscel- 
laneous collection  of  pictures  and  statuary,  co|)ies  of  Assyrian  and  Egyptian  sculpture, 
a  museum  chiefly  devoted  to  Canadian  ornithology,  with  a  department  containing 
school  apparatus  and  furniture.  The  buildings  which  adjoin  the  Education  Office  and 
Museum  are  used  as  a  City  Model  School  for  the  youth  of  both  sexes,  and  a  Normal 
School  for  the  training  of  teachers.  P'or  thirty  years  these  buildings  in  Normal  School 
S([uare  have  been  the  nursery  of  the  educational  system  of  Ontario,  a  system  origi- 
nated, and  for  nearly  the  whole  period  administered,  by  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Ryerson. 
Toronto,  as  a  city,  has  largely  felt  the  influence;  of  Dr.  Ryerson's  labours ;  and  the 
many  efficient  Public  Schools  of  the  town  are  mtMiiorials  of  his  life's  work,  as  well  as 
marks  of  the  public  spirit  of  the  community,  aided  by  th(;  liberality  of  the  Provincial 
Legislatun;.  Ilo\ve\er  much  the  State  has  done  for  (xlucation,  X'oluntaryism,  at  the 
same  time,  has  not  withheld  its  purse.  The  amount  of  scholastic  work  undertaken  by 
tin;  Denominations,  and  the  support  given  to  the  charities  and  philanthropic  institutions 
of  the  cit\-,   may  be  pointed   to  as  irrefragable  evidence  of  true   Christian   zeal. 

Leaving  the  lulucation  Department,  and  going  south  by  Hond  Street,  we  pass  at 
the  corner  of  Wilton  Avenue,  the  Congregational  Church,  a  fine  edifice  in  the  style  of 
l^arl\-  l'"nglish  Gothic,  with  a  handsome  tower  and  spirt;  at  the  south-west  angle  of  the 
building.  .\  litth;  farther  down  is  the  Loretto  Convent,  with  the  Archiepiscopal  See- 
House  to  the  rear,  on  the  Church  Street  front;  and  at  the  intersection  of  Shuter,  is 
St.  Michael's  Roman  Catholic  C"alhedral.  When  the  late  Bishop  Power,  forty  years 
*       ago,  purchased  the  site  for  the  Cathedral,  he  was  deemed  foolish,   we  are  told,   for  pro- 


,) 


6  0(./<    />/C7'(  A' /:S(H  7: 


posing  to  erect  a  church  in  what  was  then  "the  bush."  Now  t\\r  edifice  is  ahnost  in 
the  heart  of  Toronto,  the;  city  encompassing,  and  reaching  far  bcNond  it,  in  every 
direction.  The  Iniilding,  wliich  extcMids  from  Bond  to  Ciuirrh  Street,  wilii  an  entrance 
also  from  Shuter,  is  massive  and  loft)'.  It  ha^>  a  line  tower  and  s|)ire,  bcaulilul  slaimd- 
glass  windows,  witii  organ  and  instrinnental  orcht-stra.  There,-  an;  st'veral  vahiable 
paintings,  two  fmelN-carved  pidpits,  and  t'i\e  elaborate  altars  in  various  parts  of  the 
interior.  In  connection  with  the  church  and  its  parish  work  are  the  several  religious 
orders,  the  Christian  brothers,  the  Sisters  of  Merc\-  aiHJ  the  Cloistered  Nuns, —  the 
Brothers  taking  part  in  the  educational  work  of  the  Separate  Schools  throughout 
the  city,   and   tlu;   nuns   teaching   in   the   Convents. 

The  Metropolitan  (Methodist)  Church,  in  McCdll  Sepiare,  is  among  the  largest 
ecclesiastical  editici^s  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  It  is  one  of  the  sights  of  the  city; 
and  surrounded  by  its  fine  grounds,  with  neat  iron  fence,  its  fringe  of  trees  and 
shrubs,  with  partcirres  of  flowers,  is  a  great  ornament  to  Toronto,  and  the  just  pride 
of  the  religious  body.  Tht;  bviilding  is  of  fine  whit(!  brick,  with  cut-stone  dressings, 
and  is  in  th(!  Franco-Gothic  style  of  architecture  of  the  I'ourteenth  Century.  Its  ex- 
treme dimensions  are  two  hundrt;d  antl  fourteen  by  one  hundred  and  four  feet.  At 
the  south-east  angle  is  a  tower,  sixteen  feet  squart;  and  one  hundred  and  ninety  feet 
in  height.  There  are  other  towers  a  hundred  and  twent\-two  feet  in  height,  one  on 
either  side,  at  the  junction  of  the  main  building  with  the  lecture-room.  'The  internal 
arrangement  of  the  building,  the  general  design,  and  the  harmony  of  the  parts,  excite 
the  admiration  of  all  visitors.  The  seating  capacity  of  the  church  is  about  two 
thousand  four  hundred  ;  and  its  total  cost,  including  the  site,  and  a  magnificent  organ, 
approached  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

Immediately  south  of  Mc(iill  Scjuare,  and  reached  from  our  present  halting-place 
by  way  of  Clare  Street,  is  the  Canadian  Institute,  on  Richmond  Street.  This  insti- 
tution, which  is  mainly  supported  by  the  sara/z/s  of  the  cit\-,  and  those  interested  in 
scientific  research,  has  a  fine  library  and  lecture-hall  ;  its  iiK^mbers  publish  a  journal 
of  transactions.  West  of  the  Institute,  Yonge  bisects  Richmond  .Street  a  block  and  a 
half  off.  Making  one's  way  thither,  the  visitor  will  fliul  himself  again  in  the  centres  of 
trade,  and  drawing  to  the  i)oint  from  which  he  set  out  on  the  eastern  tour  of  the  city. 
In  Yonge  Street,  if  it  be  summer  time,  he  will  miss  the  abuntlant  shade  which  the 
trees  in  most  of  the;  streets  afford.  As  we  pass  southward  to  regain  King,  the  Cirand 
Opera  House,  on  Atlclaide  .Street,  West,  will  not  be  uidikely  to  arrest  the  e>e.  Hither 
or  to  the  Royal  Opera  House,  on  King  Street,  come  the  operatic  and  dramatic 
companies,  American  and  foreign,  that  star  it  over  the  Continent.  Occasionally,  local 
histrionic  talent  appears  creditably  on  the  boards ;  ami  from  the  Toronto  Philharmonic 
Society  the  citizens  have  entertainments  of  high  character. 

Regaining    our    point    of    departure,  and    pushing  our  way  through  the  crowds  that 


.VOA'  rilHRX   MilClir^OR 


11 


.-'T^^^^f^J^'^ 


KIAIKW     UK     TllK     "QUEEN'S    OWN." 

(tj;^?.,  throng    this    central     thoroughfare,    we    set 

out  to  see  the  points  of  interest  embraced 
in  the  west<'rn  lialf  <if  the  city.  Antl  h(-re 
one  cannot  hut  regret  that  the  streets  tliat  \)\\\\  so  important  a  i)art  in  Toronto's  com- 
merce, and  whose  intersection  forms  so  central  a  point  in  the  cit\-,  should  not  have 
had  some  great  s(]uar(;  or  plaic  as  a  point  ifax'aittaoc.  Could  tlui  hlock  be  razed  that 
is  bounded,  sa\-,  on  the;  north  and  south,  by  King  and  Adelaide  Streets,  and  on  the 
east  antl  wi'st  by  Vongc  and  l>a\',  or  its  site  ha\'e  been  kept  in  its  \irgin  state,  we 
should  have  hatl  a  grand  scpiart?  and  promenade  with  converging  streets  and  branching 
traffic ;  its  four-sided  fac(;  adorned  with  slatel\-  buildings,  anil  its  centre  set  off  by 
fountains  and  public  mnuumcMits!  Wwl  we  hav(;  to  deal  with  the  city  as  it  is,  and 
not  with  what  it  might  be; ;  still  less  with  what  it  is  not.  In  tlu-  Toronto  of  to-ilay 
there  is  littU;  occasion,  howcxcr,  to  bemoan  the  "  might  ha\e  been,"  for  the  realization 
of  what  is  wouUl  be  no  easy  matter,  not  (Jiily  to  the  founders  of  the  city,  could  they 
revisit  the  scene  of  their  earl)-  toil,  but  to  those  who  sleep  of  a  later  generation. 
Even  to  the  contemjjorary  who  revisits  the  city  after  a  few  years  absence,  the 
progress  and  improvement  everywhere  apparent  occasion  remark  and  susprise.  Nor 
are  the  lofty  buildings  that  brt^ak  up  the  sk\-  lines  about  one,  antl  render  the 
streets  picturestpie,  alone  the  sul)jecls  ot  comment.  The  contents  t)f  the  stores,  on 
all    sides,  and    the    character    of    the    native    manufactures,    or    (;f    the    importations  from 


38 


OLK   I'lCTLRLSQLli 


abroad,   are    also    strikinjf    evidences  of    local   wealth  anil    proj^ress,   and    of    the  advance 
of  art  and  skill. 

The  activities  of  the  journalistic  profession  in  the;  Provincial  Metropolis  are 
also  matters  of  pride  to  its  citizens.  The  j^rowth  of  the  newspaper  press  of  Toronto, 
particularly  in  the  last  ten  years,  has  been  very  marked.  The  buildinj^  erected  b)-  the 
proprietors  of  the  Mail,  the  chief  conservative  ortran  of  the  Western  Province,  is  at 
once  an  instance  of  enterprise  and  of  the  pul)lic  fa\our  which  enterprise  wins.  The 
Mail  was  established  in  1S70,  and  is  a  vii^orously  conductetl  journal,  with  writers  of 
trained  and  disciplined  talent  on  its 
staf^".  'I'he  Globe,  which  dates  back 
to  1S44,  lon_s^  led  the  van  of  journal- 
ism in  Canada ;  it  is  recoj^mized  as 
the  chief  orijan  of  the  Reformers, 
or.  as  the)-  are  now  frequently  desig- 
nated, the  "  Liberal  I\arty."  The 
T'lcgrani  and  the  World  are  journals 
that  pay  some  tribute  to  independ- 
ence ;  and  with  the  growing  class  now 
throwing  of¥  the  ties  of  partyism, 
they  are  increasingly  popular.  The 
Evening  News  and  the  Evenino-  Cana- 
dian   are    recent    additions    to    after- 


Cliurchman    of    the    Episcopal    body. 


noon  journalism.  The  "  weeklies  " 
chiefly  represent  the  denominations.  The 
Christian  Guardian,  founded  in  1829,  is  the 
organ  of  the  Methodist,  and  the  Evangelical 
The  Irish  Canadian  speaks  for   Roman  Catholic- 


ism. •      The     titles    of    the     Canada    Presbyterian    and    the     Canadian    Baptist    at     once 


X()/r/7//SA\Y  NHUiUliOR  39 

disclose  their  connections.  C////  is  tiie  representative  of  humor  ami  the  rartooiiist's  art  ; 
and  CoinnuMTc;  has  a  special  orj^aii  in  tlu;  Monetary  Times.  Periodical  lilcrature,  as 
yet,  has  to  struggle  to  maintain  its(.-lf,  though  at  periods  when  then-  is  a  (piickening 
of  the  national  life,  it  sensibly  extemls  the  area  of  its  influence,  if  not  of  its  support. 
The  marketable  literature  in  the  country  is  still  mainly  foreign  ;  and  enterprises  like 
the  r(t(  ntly  deceased  Canadian  Monthly  tind  it  as  \v\  iliUicnU,  ii  not  impossible,  in 
the  latency  of  national  spirit,  to  secure  adecpiati;  sup|)ort.  The  professional  periodi- 
cals fare  hctur.  Law,  medicine,  ind  education  have  each  their  representative  organs, 
and   maintain   themselves    with    abilily  and  credit. 

Toronto  literar)'  ami  journalistic  life  has  not  as  yet  developed  its  club  ;  though  the 
growing  prof(.'ssional  status,  and  the  increasing  emoluments  of  writers  for  the  press, 
will  no  doubt  s(,'(.'  it  rise  at  an  early  tla\  to  that  tlignity.  Special  interests  of  a  social, 
professional,  or  commercial  character,  cond)inc;,  however,  to  su|)porl  one  f)r  two  city 
clubs.  rile  k()\al  Canadian  \'aclu  Club  \vt;  have  alread\  mentioned,  has  its  habitat 
on  the  Island.  The  National  Club,  siluatiHl  on  Ba)'  Street,  has  a  large  memluM'ship 
drawn  from  the  professions,  autl  ffoin  tin?  ca|)tains  of  industry  and  comnn-rce.  The 
Toronto  Club,  on  N'ork  Street,  draws  its  nuMubership  from  nnicii  the  same  soiu'ce, 
with  a  sprinkling  of  the  more  leisures!  class,  and  some  few  sticklers  b)r  caste.  The 
I'nited  b^mpire  Club,  which,  as  the  headcpiarters  of  Liberal  Conserx  atism  in  the  city, 
styletl  itself  the  Canadian  Carle'on,  has  n-ce'nth-  tlisapjx'ared.  Its  building,  centrally 
situated  on  King  .Street,  West,  might  be  secured  for  a  much-needed  Merchant's 
Exchange,  or,  better  still,  a  F"ree  l^lblic  Library.  The  \arious  societies,  national  and 
ben(.-volent.  liave  their  respective  lodge-rooms  and  halls  in  almost  ever\'  section  of  the 
city.  There  are  also  a  number  of  rowing  and  swimming  clubs,  curling  and  skating-rink 
organizations,  with  several  gymnasia,  and  that  latest  craze  of  athleticism,  a  Bicycle 
Association. 

Next  to  the  clubs,  in  the  record  of  social  progress,  come  the  hotels.  Toronto  has 
left  behind  her  th(;  (!ra  of  the  primitive  York  hotels,  a  storey  and  a  half  high,  in 
which  the  travelling  pid)lic  of  the;  tlay  used  to  think  itself  luxinaously  lodged,  if  the 
sign-post  in  front  of  the  inn  didn't  inform  the  passer-b\-  that  the  "  (ieneral  Brock,"  or 
other  named  patron,  possessed  "  accommodation  for  man  and  beast."  The  "  Oueen's," 
on  I'ront  .Street,  and  the  "  Rossin  Houst'."  which  we  j)ass  on  King  Street,  at  the 
corner  of  \'ork,  may  claim  to  rank  with  the  large  and  well-managed  hotels  of  the 
American  cities.  Others,  including  the  "Walker,"  the  "Revere,"  and  the  "American," 
deserve  favourable  notice. 

Pm-sinng  our  way  westward,  we  come,  at  the  corner  of  King  and  Simcoe  Streets 
to  a  fane  of  truly  metropolitan  character — St.  Andrew's  Church — whose;  noble  fafadc, 
Norman  towers,  and  elaborately-carved  triple  doorway  recall  some  grand  Minster  of  the 
Old  World.       Its  massive  solidity,   with  its    great  hundred  and  twenty-feet  tower,   thirty- 


\o  or  A'  /'/cT(7\'/':.svr/: 

twf)  feet  sciuarcr  at  the  h.isc,  in  the  style  of  the  Norman  architecture  of  the  'Iwelfth 
Century,  gives  an  aspect  of  stately  inajj^niticence  to  th('  l)iiililinjj;,  which,  with  its  fine 
site,  has  scarce  a  parallel  amonj^'  the  ecclesiastical  editices  of  Canada.  The  church  is 
l)uilt  of  (Jieorj^jetown  rubhli;,  with  Ohio  storn'  facings,  varieil,  in  the  relieving  arches  and 
bands,  by  the  red-brown  blocks  of  Oueenstoii.  'lUv.  windows  are  arclu:d,  as  are  the 
entrances,  tlu;  latter  having  tinely-polishtnl  red  granite  pillars  supporting  them.  In  the 
southern  end  of  the  building  -a  shapely  semi-circle —arc  the  school-rooms  and  lecture- 
halls,  which  are  "so  contrived  as  to  add  to  the  general  effect  which  the  contour  of  the 
building  is  intt;nckHl  to  protluce."  The  church  was  erected  in  1875,  and  opened  in 
I^'ebruary  of  the   following  year. 

In  grounds  of  much  attrartiveness,  tantalizingly  shut  in  from  view  on  three  streets, 
stands  the  rrsidcnce  of  the  Licuteiiant-titnernor  of  Ontario.  In  some;  rcs|)ct:ts  it  is  a 
a  pity  that  the  area  occupied  by  (ioverument  House;  ami  grounds,  and  the  scpiarcs  to 
the  north  and  south  should  have  the  Province  as  their  owner,  as  this  monopoly  stands 
somewhat  in  the  way  of  the  d(;v(.'lopm(;nt  of  the  city  to  the  westward.  .Still,  so 
far  as  the  (iovenior's  r(;sidcnc(!  is  concernt;d,  were  the  fences  reduced  in  size  and  lat- 
ticed, tilt;  purposes  to  which  ( lo\crnm(;nt  has  put  the  square  would  not  Ik;  so  objec- 
tionable, while;  the  site;  might  continue  to  form  an  agreeable  break  in  the  moiiotou)'  of 
the  streets.  TIk;  residence;  is  in  the  modern  style  of  I'rench  architecture,  and  has  an 
elegant  appearance;  from  within  its  f(;nced  enclosure.  The  interior  is  handsome,  with 
grand  hall  and  staircase;,  spacious  rec(;ption  rooms,  and  a  fme  ball-room  autl  con- 
servatory. The  grounds  an;  extensive,  and  are  beautifully  laid  out  with  tlower-beds  and 
shrubbery,   terraced  walks  and   velvety  lawn. 

Art  has  contrasts  no  less  discordant  than  Nature ;  and  in  the  square  to  the 
south  the  stranger  will  be  as  much  disappointed  with  the  poverty  of  the  Parliament 
HuiUlings  of  tlu;  Province  as  he  will  have  been  delighted  with  the  residence  of  its 
Governor.  The  buildings  require  as  little  description  as  elo  the  railway  freight  shetis 
to  the  south  of  them.  However,  for  what  they  are  worth,  there  they  are.  In  the 
meantime  they  do  duty  as  the  Halls  of  the  Legislature;  and  we  must  not  forget  that 
the  Province  had  once  a  humbler  St.  Stephen's.  The  buildings  still  shelter  some  of 
the  (jovernment  departments  and  tlu;  Provincial  Library,  together  with  the  Legislative 
Chainber,    the  throne,  and  the  mace  ! 

The  House  consists  of  eighty-eight  members,  si.\  of  whom  form  the  Executive 
Council,  and  direct  the  public  business  of  the  Province.  Politics  in  Ontario,  as  else- 
where in  the  Dominion,  is  the  great  game  of  the  people.  It  is  pursued  with  often 
feverisli  intensity,  and  partyism  not  unfrequently  degrades  it  to  personal  ends.  In  the 
heat  which  faction  and  its  trumpery  concerns  occasion,  we  sometimes  recall  Dr.  Gold- 
win  Smith's  words,  in  alluding  to  the  interruption  to  legislative  business  in  England  by 
the    annual  furore  of   the    Derby   Day.       "  Give    us,"  says  the  professor,   "  a    Parliament 


X()A'////;a'x  M:i(,iinoi<  4> 

capal)lc  of  heinj^  tlu:  orj^Mii  of  national  aspiration  and  effort  ;  let  ji^reat  questions  be  once 
more  hanclli.'d  in  earnest  by  great  men  ;  let  our  political  chiefs  once  more  display  t!ie 
qualities  which  touch  a  nation's  Iieart  ;  and  the  soiJ  of  iCns^land  will  soon  cease  to  be 
absorbed  b)  a  horse  race."  In  thes.-  remarks  there  is  a  lesson  for  those  in  Canaila 
who  are  enj^rossful  by  the  [)arty  game,  and  are  dis|)oseil  to  substitute  for  statesmanship 
the  small    issues    and    the  wirepulling   of  the    Machine. 

On  the  I'^splanade,  to  the  cast  of  Parliament  Scpiare,  is  ihe  Union  Station,  the 
passenger  ik'pot  of  the  Grand  trunk  Railway,  and  the  lenninus  of  a  number  of  the 
smaller  linc.'s.  Mere  we  agair/  meet  the  gleaming  waters  of  the  bay.  Close  b\'  was 
the  scene  of  the  landing,  in  uSoci,  of  i  1.  iv.  11.  tin;  Prince  of  Wales,  -a  spectacK-  of 
memorable  beaiitN.  On  but  one  other,  .and  a  sad  occa- ion,  has  tlu;  water-lront  ot  the 
cit\'  seen  sucli  a  g.ithering.  It  was  si.K  years  lalia".  wiu-n  every  houst-hold,  in  a  iren/y 
of  horroi-.  drew  to  the  waterside  to  receive  the  cK:ad  from  the  lield  ol  honour  at 
Idnu'ridge. 

Kegaining  King  Street,  and  turning  to  the  west,  we  conu;  upon  Upper  Canada 
College,  and  the  tine  grounds  that  siu'rouud  that  historic  institution.  The  building 
itself  has  no  architc^ctural  attractions.  The  charm  of  the  [)lace  is  its  foreground,  wuh 
its  bright,  gn^en  sward,  autl  the  foliage  of  the  trees  that  o\('rhang  the  sidewalk.  The 
College,  which  was  foiuided  by  .Sir  John  Colborne  in  iSjiq,  h.is  the  good  fortune  to  lie 
well  endowed,  and  is  undcu'  the  direction  of  a  coirimittec;  of  the  Univ(M-sit\-  .ScMiate. 
Attached  is  a  boardingdiouse  ;  and  the  institution  has  a  well-e(piip[)ed  staff.  Man>'  of 
the  leading  public  men  of  the  country  have  acfpiiretl  their  ('arK'  etlucation  at  the 
College  :  it  consequently  has  some  traditions.  .Some  educational  reformers  now  regard 
it,  however,  as  out  of  line  with  the  Secondary  School  .S\slem  of  the  Province  ;  and 
its  right  to  e.xist  has  recently  become  a  matter  of  fierce   debate. 

A  few  strides  to  the  westward  of  the  College  bring  us  to  John  Street,  and  to  the 
site  of  what  was  once  the  General  Hospital,  and  for  some  years,  subsequently  to  the  burn- 
ing of  the  Parliament  House,  in  1824,  the  home  of  the  Legislature.  In  1847,  when  the 
city  was  scourged  by  an  epidemic  of  typhus,  the  fever  wards  of  the  hospital  wt-re  liter- 
ally choked  with  the  smitten  inunigrants.  Turning  northward  on  John,  we  skirt  on  our 
right  the  fencc^d  (uiclosure  of  thi;  College  cricket-grountl.  Here,  if  anywhere,  with  its 
front  on  King,  is  the  proper  site  for  the  new  Parliament  Buildings.  Proceeding  north- 
ward we  pass  Beverley  House  on  the  right,  the  Clock  Tower  of  the  Queen  Street  Fire 
Station  on  the  left ;  and  beyond  are  the  spire  and  fmial  cross  of  St.  George's — the  vista 
being  closed  by  the  foliage  of  the  Grange.  Within  the  beautiful  grounds  of  the 
latter,  tradition  says  that,  sixty  years  ago,  bears  attacked  the  carriage  horses  of  its 
owner.      One  of  the  finest  elms  in   the  city  still  looks  down   upon  the  scene. 

At  the  intersection  of  Queen  Street,  we  turn  eastward  towards  Osgoode  Hall,  the 
high  court  of    Themis.       Here,   within    a    stately   iron   fence;,   inclosing  some    six  acres  of 


4* 


or/<  ricrrRiusouE 


^  % 


a;. 


UNIVKKSnV     OK     TOKONTO. 


XOA'77//:'A'X   M-K.llliOR  43 

ornamental  t^M-ounds.  arc  the  ^rt-at  Law  Courts  of  the  Prcnince,  and  tlu,"  Library  antl 
Convocation  Hall  of  the  Law  Society  of  Upper  Canada.  In  his  work  on  "  North 
America,"  the  late  Anthony  Trollope  remarks  that  Osgeiode  Hall  is  to  Ui)per  Canada 
what  the  I'Oiir  Courts  of  Dublin  are  to  Ireland;  and  he  tj^ives  the  |)alm,  in  the 
matter  of  interior  decoration,  to  our  Colonial  Halls  of  jusdce.  He  praises,  in  no  stinted 
lanouaij^e,  the  beaut\'  of  the  library,  vestibule  antl  staircases,  and  has  irlowin_o-  words 
for  the  Courts  themselves.  The  place  is  the  Mecca  or  'Loronto  sitj^ht-seers.  L'nder 
its  roof  they  feel  alikt'  the  inlluenct;  of  art  and  the  majesty  of  law.  The  portraits 
of  the  judi^i^s  that  look  down  from  the  walls  impress  the  \isitor  with  a  sense  of 
the  power  that  inheres  in  k^arniiiL;-  and  tlignit)-.  The  Hall  takes  us  name  from  the 
Hon.  W'm.  Usj^oode,  the  first  Chief  Justice;  of  L'pper  Canada,  who  was  appointed  in 
179J.  The  Law  Society  dates  its  incorporation  thirt)-  \(i\w^  later;  it  has  a  well- 
endowed   library,  and  maintains  lectureships  in  Common    Law,    ]^(juity,  and    Ri;al    Property. 

(ilancin^- eastward  from  tlu;  Hall,  the  tourist  will  obser\'e,  near  the  corner  ol  ^'()ns4■e, 
the  line  ^y'ww  and  edilic(;  of  Knox  Church.  Though  erected  in  1S47,  the  church  is  lar 
from  beiny^  eclipsed,  architectiu'ally,  by  recc.'Ut  structures.  At  the  corner  ol  James  .Street 
stands  Shaftesbur\'  Hall,  the  conunodious  buiklin;^  of  tlu'  \'oun!:;'  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation ;  and  on  Trinity  .Scpiare,  at  the  top  of  James,  is  the  representative  home  of 
HiL^h-Churchism,    the   Church   of  the    Holy    Ti'init)-. 

Adjoining-  the  grounds  of  (Js^otxle  I  Ldl,  ami  faciniL,^  the  CollejT^e  Avenue,  is 
Uni\ersit\-  .Street,  or,  as  it  was  form(M-l\-  called.  Lark  Lane.  The  latter  desij^nation  was 
no  doubt  <y\\x\w  it  in  imitation  of  the  HelL,^ravian  thoroughfare  which  forms  the  eastern 
end  of  Hyde  Lark,  in  the  IJritish  nu'tropolis  ;  but  the  titness  of  the  appellation,  in 
Toronto,  is  due  to  th(;  fact  that  the  street  skirts  one;  of  the  linest  natural  av(;nues  on 
the  Continent,  and  not  to  any  architectural  beauty.  The  street,  however,  ou_<^ht  to 
be  one  of  the  favourite  portions  of  the  town  for  residence;.  rurninLr  into  the 
avenue  on  a  summer  tla\-  one  !4(;ts  a  i;limpse  of  sylwan  beauty  such  as  rarely 
meets  the  e)e.  A  mile  of  chestnuts  and  maples  llanks  a  carriai^-e-driNe  .md  pathway 
which,  in  the  vista,  open  out  upon  the  (jueen's  Park.  I"or  the  tourist  the  city  has 
no  siij^ht  so  charminn',  unless  it  be  a  \  iew  of  the  bay  on  a  still  aftc;rnoon  when  the 
settinir  sun  paves  it  with  tlame.  Half  way  up  the  a\(.'nue,  on  the  l(;ft,  the  tine  tower 
of  Erskine  Church,  and  the  spire  of  .St.  Patrick's,  may  be  seen  through  the  trees; 
ailjoinin<j:  the  form(;r  is  the  chapel  of  the  Reformed  {episcopal  body.  On  the;  rij^ht 
the  spire  of  V\\\\  .Street  Methodist  Church  breaks  lhrouL;h  the-  foliajj^e,  and  close  by  is 
the  Ime   front  of  Grace  Church. 

Presently,  the  intersection  of  the  Yom^^e  Street  Avenue  is  reached,  and  we  pass 
from  the  grateful  shade  of  the  lono  line  of  chestnuts  into  the  verdurous  sunlight  of 
the  open  park.  Within  a  terraced  enclosure  at  the  entrance  a  fountain  is  playing;  ;  and 
a  maze   of  Howers  and  shrubbi-ry  distracts  attention   from  the  antj^ry   look  of  a  couple  of 


44  0C/<    /'/CTCR/uSOC'E 

Russian  cruns.  Beyond  is  a  fine  stretcli  of  viL^orous  turf,  studded  with  state!)'  oaks,  occa- 
sionally interspersed  witli  cedar  ;ind  maple.  In  a  half  circle,  on  the  east,  ar(;  eleL,^ant 
villas,  and,  on  a  line  with  the  tlai^-staff,  are  the  arrested  buildini^s  erected  for  a  I'lovin- 
cial  University  during  the  administration  of  Sir  Charles  iJai^'ot.  The  buildint^s  wv.yc 
never  put  to  the  purpose,  however,  for  which  they  were  desiL^ned,  and  for  a  time  they 
wen;   w~,vx\  as  a   female   branch   of  the    Lunatic   Asxlum. 

Queen's  Park  forms  part  of  the  endowment  of  the  Uni\-ersit\-  of  Toronto;  but  in 
1859  fifty  acres  of  it,  tOL;-etb.er  with  th(!  two  avenues  that  leatl  from  the  city,  were  j^ivt.-n 
to  the  corporation  on  a  loui:;  lease  for  the  purpos(;s  of  a  [)ublic  park.  How  thoroughly 
the  citizens  take  advantage  of  the  park  as  a  place  of  resort  the  strolling'  crowds 
testify.  On  Sunday  afternoons  in  summer,  indeed,  a  loo  frc-e  use  is  taken  of  it  b\' 
the  motle\-  crowd  thai  gathers  under  the  trees,  whose  religious  excitements  would  \-ex 
the  soul  of  Matthew  .Xniokl.  \\:rv  the  uneducated  liberalism  of  the  ai;-e  dcliL;hls  to 
haraiiL^iie  knots  of  the  populaci',  and  to  ox'erhaul  the  world's  religious  itlc^as  back  to  ihe 
llootl.  On  week-days  it  is  tlelii^htful  to  <'scai)e  to  the  park  from  the  hubbub  and  L;lare 
oi  the  city.  .SkirliuL;"  the  raviiK;  the  pathwa_\-  winds  amont;-  scenes  of  o-pcat  pictures(pie- 
ness  anil  ot  (piiet,  rural  beaut\-.  On  a  jultino-  of  the  bank,  ov(M-lookin<j^  the  dell,  the 
strant^er  pauses  before  a  mouument  encirchul  b\-  an  appropriatt-lN-desii^iKMl  iron  railiuLi;-. 
This,  hie  learns,  was  erected  in  memory  of  the  Canadian  X'oluuteers  who  fell  at 
RidL;cway  in  defendinj^  the  frontier  against  I'^'uian  raiders.  Turnini.^-  from  the  spot  the 
associations  which  the  monument  calls  to  mind  are  ([uickened  by  the  si^ht  of  a  regiment 
marthin^-  b\-  in  column  of  companies,  and  about  to  execute  some  military  (nolutions 
in  the  open  plateau  of  the  park.  It  is  the  cor])s — the  "  Oueen's  ()wn  Ritles" — that  b-,,-e 
the  brunt  of  the  fray  at  Ritl^cway,  and  from  whose  ranks  fell  out  the  j-ouni,^  life 
commemorated   b)-  the  monument. 

Passinq'  northward,  we  continu':  our  stroll  towards  Ploor  Street,  the  upper  limits  of 
the  park.  On  the  .-iq-ht  are  tlu;  buildiuLi^s  of  .St.  Michael's  College  and  St.  Joseph's 
Convent.  Opjjosite  the  |)ark  exit  stands  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer,  antl  to  the 
immediate  westwartl,  within  the  I'niversit)'  grounds,  is  McMaster  Hall,  iIk;  college  of 
the  F^aptist  denomination.  Tlv  buildiuL;  has  a  massi\(>  and  uniipu;  appearance.  It  is 
built  f)f  a  rich,  tlark-brown  stone,  with  drc;ssin!.^s  of  black  and  red  brick  -a  re\-ersal 
of  the  usual  methods  of  the  architects  and  build(;rs.  The  College  is  tlu!  <;ift  of  the 
donor  whose  name  it  bears ;  it  possesses  all  appliances  for  th(;  theolot^ical  trainiuL,'^ 
of  the  ministry  of  the   dcmomination. 

P'rom  Hloor  Street,  or  what  used  to  be  known  as  the  Sydenham  Road,  the 
adjoiniuij;'  suburb  of  ^'ork\•ille  extends  north  ami  e;ist  o\-er  the  area  that  lies  between 
our  |)r(;sent  haltin<r-plac(;  and  the  rid^^-e  that  bounds  Toronto  on  the  north.  To  tlu; 
west  lies  .Seaton  X'illaij^c,  and  all   ,il)out  are  the  suburban  residences  of  wealthy  merchants. 

Again   within   the    gates  of    the     Park,   we    retrace    our    steps    until    we    are    on    an 


.\( Vv' riinKX  xiiiciiih Vv' 


45 


fa^ 

,  :'''-■:»-■    -tstv'. 

-  -i^Sfeii 

- :  2k^^^^^^' 

-  -    it,. 

q^^^^^^. 

;-.    t-  ,..,      '^.  if 

_^      -'--    ^    -^.rr^ 

"iq^^^ik 

■--^1 

-       -.i« 

alijrnment  with  the  University.  Fol- 
lowing' the  carriai^c  drive  to  the  right, 
we  cross  the  ravine  and  stand  in 
front  of  tlu:  llower  and  climax  of 
Toronto's  architecture.  The  Uni\er- 
sit\-  huildinc^s  an,-  the  .ylory  of  the  city.  An  Enj^lish  writer  remarks  that  "  the 
University  of  Toronto  is  perhaps  the  only  piece  of  collet^iate  architecture  on  the 
American  Continent  worth)'  of  standint^'-room  in  the  stre(;ls  of  Oxford."  Admittedly, 
in  its  arcliitectural  features  it  jjehjiii^'s  to  the  Old  World,  antl  it  des(!r\edly  ranks 
next  to  tile  Parliainciit  Hiiildin<^s  at  Ottawa.  It  is  a  Nt)rnian  pile  of  noble  proportions 
and  f)f  e\<iuisit(!  harmony.  There  is  a  massive;  tower  and  a  richly-sculptured  doorway. 
'The  hall  and  corridors  arc  in  kee[)in_!^  with  the  academic  character  of  the  lniiklin<;s, 
and  L;rrat  joists  and  rafters  are  freeh'  exposed  to  vi(;w.  On  the  i^^round  lloor  are 
the  lecture-rooms  aiid  laijoratory,  and  on  the  upper  floor,  the  museum  and  lilirar\', 
To  the  rear,  on  the  east,  is  the  Convocation  Hall  ;  and  on  the  wi'st  are  residences  for 
students.  'The  huildiui^s  were  (M'ected  in  i,S57-cS,  at  a  cost  of  over  half  a  million  of 
dollars.  'They  have  a  frontai^e  of  three-  hundred  feet  and  a  depth  of  two  huntlred 
and   tlfl\'.        'Th(!   tower   is   one   hundred   and   twentv    feel    in    hciirht. 

iii  its  early  history  the  Uni\'ersit\'  was  known  as  l\ing''s  Colle_L,''e,  a  Ro\al  Charter 
havint;  been  secured  for  it  in  1S27  1)\'  .Sir  Pere_t,rrine  Maitlantl,  with  an  endowment  from 
ihe  Crown  Reserves  set  ajjart  for  educational  ]iuri)oses.  'The  University  established 
imdei  this  charter  was  (essentially  a  Church  of  Knjrland  institution,  and  remained  so 
until    1X49,  having   for  the  previous  six  years  been   under  the    presidency  of  that  sturdy- 


46 


OCR    riCI  IKIiSOLE 


brained  Scot,  the  first  Hishoi)  of  Toron*^o.  The  Provincial  Leijislature,  however, 
aboHshecl  the  Theolosrical  I'aculty,  and  Hisliop  Strachan  in  1S50  obtained  an  act  of 
incorporation  for,  and  proceeded  to  found,  \.\\v.  University  of  Trinity  College.  In  i  <S49 
University  College  was  established  as  a  teaching  botly,  distinct  from  the  University 
of  Toronto,  the  latter  being  confined  to  its  degree-conf(;rring  powers.  The  corporation 
of  the;  University  consists  of  a  Chancellor  and  Vice-Chancellor,  together  with  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Senate  and  of  the  C(jn\ocation.  The  government  of  University  College  is 
directed  by  a  Council,  composeil  of  the  President,  the  \'ice-President,  and  the  Profes- 
sorial staff.  Tlie  former  president  was  a  distinguished  classicist  and  epigraphist ;  the 
present  head  has  earned  distinction  in  the  departments  of  Ethnology,  Archaeology,  and 
General  Literature.  There  an-  eight  professors  attachetl  to  the  College,  besides  three 
or  four  lecturers  and  a   Classical   and  a   Mathematical   tutor. 

Facing  the  Universit)-,  across  a  spacious  lawn,  is  the  .School  of  Practical  Science. 
Here,  also,  is  the  chief  seat  of  Astronomical  Ohs(M-vation  for  the  Province.  Language 
is  inadequate  to  characterize  the  taste  whicli  sanctioned  the  erection  of  this  glaring  red 
building  on   such  a  site.      It   unspeakably  outrages   all    the   harmonies    of  the   place.       In 


niK     NORlll     n<ON     HKUM.i:,     AND     KAVl.NK.     KOSKDALli. 


\o A' '////-: AW  xh.n.iiiiOR  47 

rear  of  the  Schof)l  of  Practical  Science,  and  facintj  the  ("oll('_c;e  Avenue  and  McCaul 
Street,  is  Wycliffe  ColleLje,  the  Divinity  Scliool  of  ihe  Mvanp^elical  Section  of  the 
AnuHcan   Church.        The  Colleije  is  affiliated  with   Toronto   University. 

Re_L;ainini.;-  L'oll(;,n'e  Street,  and  tinnin;^  to  th(^  riii^dTt,  we  reach  the  i^rea*:  western 
arterx'  of  Sjiadina  A\enue,  and  see  the  setting'  sun  briuL;-  into  olowinLi;-  relief  the 
belfry  of  .St.  Stt'phen's  in  the  Field  and  the  tower  of  the  Fire  Station  ailjoinini^^ 
Awa\'  to  the  west  and  north  the  cit)-  is  fast  bringing  within  its  embrace  an  area 
of  large  extent,  and  creating  thousands  of  comfortable  homes  for  its  ever-increasing 
population.  College  Street  has  now  communii.ation  across  the  beautiful  ra\in(;  in 
rear  of  Trinit)-  I'nixcrsi'Ly  with  Hrockton,  anil  supplies  the  "missing  link"  between 
the  heart  of  the  city  and  Dundas  .Street,  thie  great  inland  highway  of  the  Western 
Province. 

P'inely  situated,  at  the  head  of  Spatlina  Avenue;,  is  the  tu^w  home  of  Kno.x  College, 
a  handsome  building  devoted  to  the  training  of  students  for  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  College;  was  foiunled  in  1S46,  and  long  had  its  habitation  in  I'dmsley  \'illa,  to 
the  northward  of  the  Central  Presbytc^rian  Church  on  liros\(;nor  Street,  and  what  was 
oikh;  the  vice-regal  residence  of  Lord  I'Llgin.  It  has  a  partial  entlowment,  aiul  an  able 
t acuity,  whose  zealous  work  will  alwa\s  secure  for  it  hearty  su[jport.  The  new  build- 
ings were  erected  at  a  cost  of  .$120,000. 

Descending  .Spadina  Axcnue,  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  Toronto  super  marc,  and  of 
the  summ(M'  traffic  of  the  lakt-  bevond.  The  lower  portion  of  the  axenue  is  known 
as  Brock  .Street,  from  which  Clarence  S(|uar<'  branches  off  to  the  left,  aiul  Wellington 
Place  to  tlu;  right.  On  the  latter  are  situated  the  Conventual  buildings  of  L(M-etto 
.'^bbey ;  and  just  in  rear  stood  the  once  residence  of  \'ice-Chancellor  Jameson,  in  whose 
wainscotted  parlour  gossipping  whist-parties  used  to  meet,  in  the  cradle  time  of  the 
city's  life,  the  talented  authon.'ss  of  the  "  Legends  of  the  .\Ladonna"  and  "Characteristics 
of  Women."  In  this  Colonial  honn;  were  no  doubt  written  Mrs.  Jameson's  Canadian 
reminiscences,  "  Winter  .Stutlii's  and    .Summer    Rambles." 

Turning  wc^stward  on  (_)ueen  Street,  anil  passing  St.  .\ndr(,'w's  Market  and  the 
Denison  Avenue  Pr(^sb\•terian  Church,  we  come  upon  the  beautiful  grounds  and  ecclesi- 
astical-looking edifice  of  Trinity  College.  The  L'niversity  was  'founded  in  1852  by 
Bishop  Strachan  ;  ami  by  Royal  Charter  it  is  iMupowe'red  to  confer  degrees  in  Divinity, 
Arts,  Law,  and  Meilicine.  Convocation  consists  of  the  Chancellor,  the  Provost  ami  Pro- 
fessors of  Trinity  College,  toge'ther  with  thos<;  admitted  to  the  degree  of  Master  of 
Arts,  and  all  graduates  in  the  other  faculties.  The  building  is  of  white  brick  with 
stone  dressings,  and  has  a  frontage  of  two  hundred  and  lifty  feet,  with  deep,  p:,)- 
jecting  wings.  It  has  numerous  class-rooms,  a  Convocation  Mall,  Chapel  and  Librar\, 
and  stands  in   a  park   of  twi'nty  acres,    with   a  backgroimil  of  romantic  beauty. 

A   little  westward,   on   the  opposite  siile  of   the    street,   is  the  great  enclosure  of   the 


48 


01  /<    J'K  /(/</■  SOL'/: 


NKAK     Till.     IIOWAUI)     STKEKT 
I-tKinGK,     ROSKDAI.I.. 


Lunatic    Asxluni.      The    main 
Iniilelinij  was  erected    in    iS-j-S, 
on     fifty    acres    of    wliat    was    then 
part  of  tlu;  Ciarrlson  ComnK;;!,  a  i^rant 
of  wliirli  was  made  to   the  Miinici[iah'ty 
by  the  (  )r(hiancc  r)(;partin<'iu.      It   un- 
fortunately lias    had    to    receive    many 
additions  since  tlu;  period    referred  to, 
and    tt)-day  it    i  .    more    crowdetl    than 
ever.      To    the    south    of    the   Asylum 
are    the    Central    Prison,    the    Mercer    Reformatory,    and    the    spacious    grounds    of    the 


J 


.\VVv'/7//:7v'.\'   XF.KilinOR  49 

Industrial    I^xhihition    Association.       Xcar  1)\-  art:  ihc    Home    for   Incurables,  ami  one    or 
two  ol    the   r(;l"u>4x:s  for  tin;  sick  and  sulTcriiii^r  of  llu:  cit\'s  poor. 

•\\'csl  and  north  of  the  As\lum  a  new  Toronto  is  rapidl)'  rising'  in  the  suhurhan 
villa^'cs  of  l»rockloii  and  ParkdaU;  ;  and  when  the  afternoons  think  of  pasdni^  into 
the  evenin^^s  a  stroll  throui.;h  these;  jdeasanl  aniie\(;s  ol  the  city,  a  sauntc  i-  in  the 
jrroves  of  lli.i;h  Park,  or  an  indolent  "[mil"  up  the  dull-hosoined  windings  of  the 
Humlier,  will  he  not  the  least  of  the  enjoyable  experiences  of  the  rambler.  llere,  to 
the  west  of  tin;  city,  one  ^ets  the  fresh  breezes  of  the  lake  ;  and  stntlchniL;'  out  from 
the  Garrison  Reserve,  or  from  the  pretty  hunldocketl  bay  at  the  mouth  of  llu;  llundjer, 
the  ij;;lcaminL;'  expanse  of  Ontario's  waters  may  be  s(;(;n  for  man\'  a  mile.  Ihe  neii^h- 
bourhood  is  now  bein^-  UKule  attractixn  b\  the  o[)eninu;'  up  of  1  1  ii^h  Park,  a  beautifully 
wootled  an-a,  with  picturestpie  drives  and  inviting-  l)ridle-|)aths,  which  has  rc'ceiuly  been 
donat(;d  to  the  city.  Prom  the  1  lumber  the  lake  shore;  road  i^ixcs  communication,  b\- 
way  of  the  Credit  Ri\er  and  ()ak\  ille,  —a  rcL^ion  which,  of  recent  years,  has  become 
famous  for  its  strawl)err\-  culture,  to  the  heati  of  ISurlin^lon  Hay  ami  the  city  of 
Hamilton.  Near  the  terminus  of  Oueeii  Street,  and  before  reachin;^  Parkd.ile,  Dundas 
Street  trends  awa\-  to  the  north-wc;st,  and  forms  the  L;reat  highway,  |)r())ecteil  by 
Governor  Simcoe,  to  the  London  District,  and  onward  to  the  Detroit  Rixcr  at  the 
western   eiul  of  the  Ontario    Peninsid;i. 

.At  this  outlet  of  the  cit\',  where  was  once  an  u,  broken  forest  of  oak  and  yellow 
pine,  a  network  of  strei'ts  anel  avenues,  with  handsome;  \illas  and  rows  of  contiL,''uous 
houses,  covers  tlie  area  and,  as  we  ha\(;  said,  creates  a  new  and  populous  Toronto. 
Though  the  northern  and  easte-rn  sections  ot  the  town  IkuI  Ioiil,''  the;  start  in  the  race, 
Brockton  and  Parkdale  an;  last  overtakinn"  them,  and  bid  fair,  at  no  distant  day,  to 
extend  the  borders  of  the  capital  to  th(;  winding-  \ale  of  the  Plumber.  There,  it  ma\- 
be,  the  comint^  years  will  see  some  western  "Castle  P'rank  "  shoot  its  pinnacles  throiiuh 
the  foliage  of  the  ri\er  that  boumls  the  city  on  the  west,  and  mav  r(;call  to  a  joun^cr 
gen(M-ation  the  summer  chdfi-ait  of  'Toronto's  foun(l(;r.  which  reared  its  walls  a  centur\- 
before;   on   the  stream   that   bounds   the  cit\'  on   the;  east. 

Hut  the  features  of  the  cit\'s  pro^^ress  haxc  not  l)(;en  material  .alone,  nor  is  the 
natural  beauty  of  its  surroundiiv^s  the  only  source  of  ])leasur(;.  R(;cent  \(;ars  ha\e 
made  'Toronto  a  centre;  tor  the  intellectual  intere;sts  of  tlu;  Pro\ince.  'Time,  wealth, 
and  leisure  are  necessary  conditions  of  this  development.  W  hat  is  to  be  the  di.s- 
tin_nuishin!4-  type  of  the  national  character  a  c<Mitn;  like  'I'oronto  must  ha\-e  it  largely  in 
its  power  to  determine.  In  its  commercial  L;rowth  and  dexclopment  the  cominj.;-  time 
will  ^ixt'  it  a  position  amouj^  the  first  citii-s  of  the;  Continent.  We  would  fain  ho|)e 
that  its  intellectual  eminence;  will  be;  corresponelinL;l\-  j^re;at.  The  aspiration  remiiuls 
us  of  some'  worels  of  Lord  1  )ufferin,  at  the;  ToreJiUo  Club  b.mepiet  in  1S77:  "Afle'r 
all,"  saiel    Tiis    Excellency,   "  it   is    in    the  towns    of    a    country  that    ideas  are   generateel 


so 


O C  'R  PICTl  R USQUE 


EDUCATIONAL    INSTITUTIONS. 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR  5' 

and  progress  initiated  ;  and  Toronto,  witli  her  universities,  with  her  law  courts,  with 
her  various  reliL,Mous  communities,  iier  learnetl  professions,  possesses  in  an  exci-ptional 
dei^rec;  those  conditions  which  are  most  favourabU;  to  the;  raising  up  amongst  us  of 
great  ami  able  men,  as  well  as  robust  and  fruitful  systems  of  religious,  political,  and 
scientific  thought."  Possessed  of  th(.'se  conditions,  her  citizens  should  not  fail  to  make 
the  fullest  and  worthiest  use  of  them,  but  give  free  play  to  those  formative  inlluences 
that  make  for  the  highest  weal  of  the  community,  and  that  will  most  effectively 
contrii)ute  to  her  civic  fame. 

'\\\(:  past  history  of  Toronto  is  the  b(;st  augur\'  of  what  her  future  will  be.  It  is 
only  three-quarters  of  a  century  since  tiie  tract  of  land  now  embraced  in  the-  city  was 
covered  by  the  forest,  and  the  whole  region,  as  the  records  of  the  Indian  I  )(;partment 
of  the  Government  declare,  passed  at  a  cost  of  ten  shillings  from  the  red  man  to  \\\v. 
white.  Tlui  successive  transforming  steps  from  a  wild(,'rness  to  a  capital  city  now  read 
like  a  fable.  But  to  the  pionc-ers  of  the  town,  slow  and  toilsome,  we  may  be  sure, 
\v(;re  the  initial  stages;  and  only  stout  arms  and  heroic  endurance  set  the  city  upon 
its  feet.  Then,  when  Nature  was  subdued,  wliat  contests  had  to  be  entered  upon,  and 
how  fierce  were  the;  struggles,  which  gave  to  th(;  country  its  liberti(;s  and  shaped  for 
it  its  constitution!  Think,  too,  from  what,  in  the  way  of  kingcraft  and  Old  W'orld 
diploniac)-,    it   had   to  emancipate   itself!     "Mind    what    you    are  about    in    Canada!"   were 

tlu;   irate   wf)rds    addressed    by    King   William     I\'.   to  one    of    his    ministers.       "  H\'  , 

1  will  never  consent  to  alienate  the  Crown  Lands,  nor  to  make  the  Council  (dective  !  " 
Hut  a  happier  star  is  now  in  th(!  ascendant.  The  days  of  colonial  pupilage  are  over; 
the  strifes  of  the  cradle  time  of  the  I'rovmce  are  gom;  b\- ;  and  it  is  now  the  era  of 
progress  ami  consolidation,  of  national  growth  and  the  formation  of  national  character. 
We  have  no  troublesome  {[uestions  to  vex  us  and  to  waste  time  over:  we  have  a  high 
mission  to  fultill.  and  a  distinctive  life  to  develop.  fCducation  is  spreading,  and  its 
refming  influence  is  excrywhc^re  operative.  Party  and  sectarian  animosities  are  (jn  the 
wane  ;  and  the  influence  of  reason  in  journalism  and  [jolitics  is  asserting  itself.  Let 
there  Ik;  but  more  patriotic  feeling,  w  fuller  national  sentiment,  with  a  more  expressive 
pul)lic  spirit,  and  a  better  tletermined  civic  life,  antl  the  metropoli;;  fjf  iiic  Province  will 
take   its  proper  position   among   the   varied   cnmmnnities  of   the   D-ominion. 


52 


och'  pic'rrRF.socF. 


ill,  •.      A--'^ :  ^ 


"''ff'^^y}:''^^^^^ 


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0^ 

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C 

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\()A' ////■: AW  MilClinOR 


53 


•■■'  u-iife^:  ' 


'^ji^-^ 


^  •^%"^''' 


>«ii^tr^r^« 


,^-<iW 


\ 


FROM    TORONTO,    WESTWARD. 


T  I'lAXIXG  ToroiUo,  and  proceeding;  westward  in  si-areh  of  tlie  picturestiue,  we  take 
•*-^  the  Credit  \'alley  Railroad  for  tlie  "  ]'"orks  of  the  Credit."  In  little  nior(>  than 
two  hours  from  Toronlo,  and  when  within  a  half-hour  of  ( )ran!_;('\ill<-,  we  find  ours(,'lves 
nestlini^'  in  the-  hosom  of  the  Caledon  llills.  "The  /vv/w "  would  lie  more  eorn-ctly 
named  '•The  /^i-oi/os  of  the  Cretlit."  The  westerK"  pron^'  pierces  a  deep  and  romantic 
ravine  hi'tween  xcrtical  walls  of  retl  ami  ^ray  sandstone.  Parallel  to  the  eastc:rn  pronq;', 
hut  receding'  from  the  stream,  rise  umlulalin^  hills  of  the  same  formation.  The  sand- 
stone is  rompact.  uniform  and  free  from  impurities  ;  it  \ields  to  the  ihisel  and  the  lathi; 
heautiful  architectural  and  decorative  effects.  (  )uarr\ men  are  now  merrily  at  work. 
Their  rinjrino-    steel    ami    powder-blasts  are   frecpiently    heard  ;     and   with   this  mimicry   of 


54  01  h'    /'/CrrR/iSQC/: 

war  they  atlrighi  tluj  j^lmuIc  echoes  that  slet!p  among  those  (iiiiet  and  romantic  j^flens. 
A  little  distance  up  the  left  hrancii  of  the  Crcdii  we  are  iiiallan_i;i'tl  by  a  hij^li  sentry- 
tower, — "the;  Devil's  I'lilpit,"  it  is  locall)'  nanuHJ.  Ascending  this  we  gain  a  commanding 
view  of  the  Valley  of  the  Credit;  and  away  towards  the  east  we  range  with  «)iir  eyes 
the  wooded  height  of  land  ihal  sttparates  the  fountains  of  the  Credit  from  those  of 
the  Humljer.  The  sweet,  (old,  shadowy  waters  of  the  Creilit  have  always  i)een  the 
very  paradisi;  of  fish.  I  he  headwaters  swarm  with  speckled  trout,  If  we  are 
ambitious  of  larger  jirey  we  must  follow  the  ri\er  below  the  I'Ork  through  its  long, 
quiet  stretclu;s,  passing  Hramplon,  the  Count)-  seat,  with  its  agricultural  activities  and 
industries.  After  leaving  Streetsville  with  its  humming  looms,  the  fishing  may  becomt; 
more  serious  and  e.xciting : — four-pounder  black  bass,  and  nine-pounder  pike.  Still 
descending  the  ri\er,  we  strike  (loxcriior  .Siuicoe's  old  militar\'  highway,  Dundas  Street, 
and  we  see,  hard  by,  tin;  old  Indian  bur)ing-[)lace,  where  rest  with  their  weapons  of 
the  chas(;  beside  them  som<;  of  the  keenest  sportsmen  the  world  has  ever  bred.  The 
Indian  village  has  now  \anished,  but  here  was  once  the  focus  of  western  Salmon- 
fishing.  Here  within  tlie  frame  of  the  Credit  woods  the  torches  of  the  firtsfishers 
nightly  nt  up  such  |)ictures  as  Paul  Kane  came  frnin  Toronto  to  preserve  on  his 
canvas.  Hr.t  one  day  tin;  Mississagas  sold  their  heritage  and  departed  ;  and  curiously 
enough,  with  the  disap|)earance  of  the  Indians,  disappeared  also  suddenly  and  forever 
the  salmon  which  the  Cireat  Spirit  had  so  bountifull)  provided  for  his  poor,  improvi- 
dent children. 

Leaving  I'ort  Credit,  we  coast  along  the  shore,  just  glancing  wistfully  as  we  pass 
at  Oakville  and  its  luscious  strawberry-meads.  Were  we  to  land  and  taste  of  "  that 
enchanted  stem  "  we  should,  like  tin;  lotus-eaters,  abide  there  all   summer.      Many  do  so. 

Bearing  westward  we  reach  the  H(;ad  of  the  Lake,  the  "  b'ontl  du  Lac,"  which  it 
was  long  the  ilream  and  ami)iti()n  of  F"rench  e.xplorers  to  n^ach.  The  discovery  of 
Burlington  Ba)-  was  reserved  for  La  .Salle  in  this  wise.  Champlain's  inroad  inf:o  the 
lair  of  the  Irotpiois  tiger  had  forever  closed  to  him  the  exploration  of  Lake  Ontario, 
and  thus  Lake  Simcoe  and  Georgian  Ba\'  and  Lake  Huron  had  all  been  repeatedly 
visited  long  before  Ontario  had  been  explored.  In  i66g  the  fearless  spirit  of  La  Salle 
overleaped  all  barriers,  antl  dashing  into  this  inland  sea  with  a  flotilla  of  seveii  canoes 
he  explored  it  to  the  very   head.       Quotli   the  Aticiciit  Mariner: 

"The    fair   brcc/c    bk-w,   the    white   luuiii    Hew, 
Tile  furrow  followed  free  ; 
We  were  the  lust  that  ever    burst 
Into  that  silent  sea." 

Coasting  along  the  south  shore  of  what  he  named  "  Lake  Frontenac,'  La  Salle 
discovered  the    moutli   of    the   Niagara  and,   first    of  all    luiropeans,   he    iieard    the  awful 


J 


AOA' /■///■: A'. V  MUiiHliOR  55 

voice  of  tlif  latanict.  Thence  aloiiij;  tlie  Ijcautiful  woodlands  of  Lincoln  and  Wcnt- 
worth.  with  views  disclosed,  now  of  descendinj,^  streams,  and  aj,'ain  ol  peaceful  bayous 
frini^ed  with  icdars  and  inlaiil  with  white  and  j^old  pond-lilies.  At  leiiL^tii  a  s\lvan  lake 
of  enchantiii},'  beauty  was  reached.  Without  llie  aid  of  the  Liyht  House  and  Canal 
that  now  i^ivc  tiu-  largest  steamers  easy  entrance  to  Hurlington  \S\\\,  I. a  Salle  leil  his 
tlotilla  within  its  sh(!lt»trino  arms.  It  was  the  24th  of  Septend)er,  i66q.  The  dense 
iindcrwodd  lip  the  hill-siiles,  and  th(;  stately  forests  covering  the  heights,  formetl  an 
ainphithi'.iirc  of  the  riclu^st  foliage,  which  was  already  kindling  with  the  gold  and 
crimson  lircs  of  the  Canadian  autumn.  While  resting  hi-re.  La  .Salle  was  astonished  to 
learn  from  the  nati\-es  that  another  I'rench  e.\plorer  had  just  rc-aclu;d  a  village;  on  the 
(Irand  Ki\cr  beyond.  This  pro\(,'d  to  be  110  U-ss  a  personage  than  Jolict  luTeafter 
to  Ixcomt-  La  Salle's  victorious  rival  in  the  race  for  the  linding  of  the  Mississip|)i. 
Could  a  more  picturescpic  inciilent  be  conceived  than  the  meeting  of  these  )C)ung 
men  who  were  presenth'  to  become  so  famous  ?  Jolict  explained  tiiat  Ik;  had  been 
sent  by  the  Inlcndant  Talon  to  iliscover  certain  rumored  co|)per-mines  in  the  North- 
west ;  thf  lesuit  missionaries  Manpictte  ami  1  )ablon  had  volunteered  to  accompany 
him  .Stopped  b\-  a  saiill  in  their  upward  progress,  the  missionaries  IkuI  remained  to 
found  the  Mission  of  St.  .Marie;.  Joliet  returned,  i)ul  with  an  absorbing  passion  for 
adventure,  Ik;  selected  for  his  return  an  un(;.\plored  route,  which  aikU'tl  to  the  maps 
of  New  L'rance  our  western  peninsula  of  Ontario.  Joliet  iliscovered  tlu;  river  and  lake 
which  have  since  been  used  to  coinuK-morate  the  mild  military  achievements  of 
GeiH;ral  St.  Clair;  he  then  e.\plored  a  strait  (Detroit)  that  gave  the  joung  e.\|)lorer 
entry  into  a  vast  lake  (Krit;),  hitherto  unseen  of  white;  men.  Coasting  along  the 
Canadian  shore  of  Lake  I-lrie,  he  disco\-ered  and  ascended  tiK;  Crand  River,  and  he 
was  now  standing  near  the  site;  of  the;  future  Mohawk  Church,  showing  La  Salle  the 
lirst   m.ip  of    Peninsular  Ontario! 

A  centur\-  anel  uKire  passed  e)ver.  New  France  had  bee;n  cut  adrift  by  Olel  b'rance. 
Joliet's  maps  of  the  Lake;s  aiKl  of  the  Mississipi)i,  which  were  elesigneel  to  gratif)-  the 
drand  Moiiarqiic,  hael  supi)lie;el  lulmunel  Hurke  with  arguments  on  the  question  of  the 
PennsyKania  boundary.  Then  came  the'  elisruption  of  the  American  Colonies  and  the 
inllux  of  the  Loyalists  into  Canada.  In  the  vanguard  of  the  refugees  arrived  Robert 
Land  in  1778.  His  was  a  romantic  story,  but  too  long  to  tell.  He  selected  the  Head 
of  the  Lake  rather  for  the  game  anel  the  scenery  than  for  the  fertility  of  the  soil. 
His  lirst  acre  was  ploughe;d  with  a  hoe,  sowed  with  a  bushel  of  wheal,  and  harrowed 
with  the  leaf\-  bough  of  a  tree.  b'or  years  he  was  his  own  miller,  bruising  the  wheat 
into  coarse'  meal.  Ciood  news  came  one  day  that  a  French  Canadian  had  "  enterprised " 
a  mill  at  Ancaster.  So,  when  Land's  next  grain  was  threshed  out  with  the  flail,  he 
strapped  a  sack  of  wheat  to  his  back  and  te)ile;d  up  the  mountain  footpath  seven  miles, 
awaited    his    turn    at    the-    log    grist-mill  of    Jean  Jacques   Rousseaux  and    then    joyously 


5^' 


OUR   PICTURESQUE 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR  57 

descended  the  mountain  carrying;  a  sack  of  llour  li>^htc.r  In-  the  miller's  tithe.  Land's 
homestead  stood  on  the  south-east  corner  of  William  muX  Harton  Sin-ets  and  his  (arm 
covered  three  hundred  acres  of  the  castc-rn  part  of  Hamilton.  Other  hard\-  yeomen 
took  up  farms  beside  him.  The  surnames  of  the  pioneers  are  preserved  in  Hujrhson 
Street,  [ackson  SiPet,  l-Cru^^uson  .\\enue,  etc.  and  llunr  Christian  names  survive  in 
James  .Street,  |ohn  .Street,  Robert  .Street,  and  the;  rest.  The  cpiiet  fields  where  these 
yeonuMi  so  proudh'  look  a  strai^dil  furrow  with  their  waw  Ancaster  ploui^hs,  have'  since 
yieUled  a  harvest  of  commercial  activities  and  mechanical  industries.  The  oentle  sounds 
of  llu!  country  are  succeedetl  by  the  shriek-,  ot  rushinn'  hjcomotives  and  steamboats  ;  by 
th<;  thud  of  the  steam-hammer,  tin;  roar  of  fountlries  and  ^lass-furnaces  ;  the  whir  of 
the  countless  jjuUeys  that  minister  to  the  workers  in  wood,  iron,  brass,  copper,  zinc,  tin 
and  silver. 

Parallel  to  th(?  present  beach,  but  away  at  the  farther  end  of  Burlini;^ton  Ha\',  is 
an  historic  ten-race  of  "  coni^lomerate,"  or  natural  concrete.  It  represents  the  ancient 
lake-tloor,  though  now  lifted  a  iiundred  feet  abovi;  tht;  water.  In  1S13  tlu;  tide  of 
invasion  swept  over  the?  western  Province  up  to  the  \ery  foot  of  Hurlin<^ton  1  lei^hts. 
It  was  in  those  anxious  days  that  Hamilton  was  born.  The  Heisjj^hts  wen;  not  then 
dee|)l\'  t^\cavated  to  receive  a  railroad,  nor  were  they  pierced  by  a  canal.  Ihe  only 
access  was  over  an  isthmus  defended  by  field-works.  On  one  side,  a  stone  mio-ht 
have  l)een  dropped  a  hundred  feet  sheer  into  Burlin<^ton  Hay;  on  the  other  side,  into 
the  deep  marsh  which  hail  alread\'  acquired  the  nickname  of  "  Coote's  Parailise." 
The  fortune  of  Upper  Canada  turneil  on  the  possession  of  this  hill.  Here  Ceneral 
X'incent  found  a  safe  retreat  when  forced  to  withdraw  from  the  Niagara  frontii'r.  It 
was  from  this  eyry  that  Harvey  swooped  down  upon  the  American  camp  at  .Stony 
Creek,  and  Fitziribbon  dashed  upon  the  retreating"  invaders  at  Heaver  Dam.  A 
daui^erous  naval  tlemonstration  was  made  against  the  Heights,  but  it  ii^nominiously 
failed.  So  the  summer  of  iSi,^  passc^d  hopefulK'  awa\-.  But  the  October  winds 
broufjht  from  Moravian  town  the  low  moaniny^  of  a  grave  disaster,  ami  then  Proctor 
found   in    Burlington    Heights  a   welcome   refuge;. 

The  massing  of  imm  and  militarv  stores  during  the  war  no  doubt  promptetl  the 
formation  of  a  permanent  settlement.  In  iSi  v  C>eorge  Hamilton  laid  out  his  farm  in 
village  lots,  but  the  peace  of  ("dient  came,  and  the  stir  and  bustle  on  Burlington  Piay 
e.xpired  with  the  watch-fires  on  its  Heights.  Hamilton  had  a  future,  but  she  must  bide 
her  time.  .Ancaster  had  taken  an  early  and  vigorous  start;  then  Dundas  had  sprung 
uj),  a  still  more  dange'-ous  rival.  The  cutting  of  Burlington  Canal  in  iX:;4-5  openeil 
communication  with  Lake  Ontario  and  secured  to  Hamilton  invaluable  geographical 
advantages.  The  year  i.S;,2  was  to  test  whether  Hamilton  was  simpl>-  "ambitious,"  or 
possessed  the  (pialities  that  justify  ambition.  One  awful  nij^ht  in  the;  summer,  a  gaunt 
Asiatic  stalked  into  the    gaol,   without  undoing  bolt  or  bar,   and  served    writs  of  Habeas 


58 


OUR  PICT  I  RliSOl  'li 


Corpus  that  would  hrook  no 
(lcla\".  When  morning;'  broke, 
it   was    clear    to     tlie    townsmen 

that  cholera  was  within  their  i)orcIers.  The  i^aoler  was  himself  hurried  away  :  then 
the  magistrates  set  free  llu^  surxixiiit;-  prisoners,  e\ce|)t  one  who  wa^^  already  within  the 
shadow  of  the  gibbet.  All  summer  lon^'  this  ilreadful  presence  stalked  up  and  down 
the  streets,  entering  the  houses  or  peering  in  at  the  windows  ;  but  with  the  coming  of 
the  blessed  frost,  he  disappeared.  The  pestilence  bareh'  gone,  the  midnight  sky,  one 
night  in  November,  was  suddenly  lit  up  as  bright  as  noontide,  and  Hurlington  \\a\ 
seen  from  afar  gleamed  liki;  burnished  gold.  IJefore  the  tire  could  be  subdued,  main 
of  Hamilton's  best  buildings  were  shapeless  ruins.  These  calamities  of  iS;,2  might 
well  ha\c  disheartened  a  \()ung  town,  but  within  a  few  months  I  lamilton  had  not  onl\- 
reco\-erf'd  lost  ground,  but  had  plannetl  a  s\st(;m  of  markets,  and  had  provided  for 
wider  streets  and  a  police  |)atrol.  bire-engines  were  [)rocured  and  gri'at  |niblic  wells 
were  sunk.  .'\s  in  the  towns  of  Old  Mnglantl  and  of  Xew  I'^ngland,  the  town-pumps 
were  long  the  c(Mitre  of  gossip  and  became  the  bill-boards  for  otTicial  notices.  The 
[•"ountain  in  the  (iore  marks  the  site  of  the  last  surxixor  of  those  garrulous  old  town- 
pumps,  from  which  Hawthorne  has  drawn  so  ih'lightful  a  "Rill"  in  his  "  Twict;-tokl 
Tales." 

In   the;  early  days,    Allan    McNab    was  the    leading  spirit    in  every  stirring    incident. 
He  was  tlu;   foremost   representative  of  the  (iore   District   in    Parliament.      When   cholera 


\(  )R  TIIERX  XRIGlfBOR 


59 


invaded  the  s-iol,  it  was  Mr.  McXab  who  released  the  surviving-  prisoners  and 
assumed  th<;  responsibilit)-.  When  the  conllai^ration  of  Xovember  broke  out,  it  must 
needs  be^dn  in  Mr.  McNab's  building.  At  the  outbreai<  of  our  domestic  "  un[)leasantness  " 
in  iS;,;,  Colonel  the  lion.  Allan  McNab  was  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Asseinbl)-,  and 
Colonel  l'"itZjL,Mbbon  (whom  we  met  at  Heaver  Dam)  was  Clerk.  Within  thirt)'  minutes 
after  receixino'  a  despatch  from  .Sir  brancis  Head's  courier,  McXab  was  musterini,^ 
the  militia,  and  within  lhr<,'e  hours  he  was  ste.iming  awa\'  lor  Toronto  in  command  of 
"The  Men  of  Ciore."  On  the  mornins^  f(jll<jwiny'  his  arri\al,  he  led  tht;  charot;  up 
\'()nL;c  Street  that  dispersed  the  "  rebt;ls."  lit;  (M^uani/i'd  the  llcjtilla  on  the  Niagara 
l\i\er  which,  und(;r  Captain  Drew's  dashing  command,  cut  out  tlu;  Caro//iii\  and  sent 
her  bla/ing  oxer  tin;    balls. 

( )ne  of  the  great  thorcjughlares  of  llamilt(jn  commemorates  .Sir  Allan's  long 
services  to  his  ado])ted  cit\'  ;  and  numerous  minor  strei;ts  serve  by  th(Mr  names  to  indi- 
cate how  clost'l)-  the  fortunes  of  Hamilton  have  \)vai\\  identilK'd  with  his  romantic 
career.  McXab  .Street  runs  the  whole;  depth  of  tlu;  city  Irom  the  Mountain  to  the 
Ha\.   and   midwa\'   it   ])asses   tin;    Mark(;t.        Less    than   a   century    ago   tlu;    Market     .Scpiare 


MARKKT     D.W,     HAMILTON. 


6o 


OUR  picrrRRsori- 


was  densely  oversjiTouii  with  shrubs  anil  was  a  noLcil  coxert  for  wolves,  so  that  even  thfn 
there  was  an  active  market  for  venison.  Here  are  now  assembled,  under  the  vigilant 
eye  of  the  Cit\-  Hall,  the  temptint;  products  of  tht;  famous  (iore  and  Niagara  Districts. 
Returninj^-  into  McNab  .Street  and  saunterinjj;-  towards  the  I)a\,  if  we  glance  in  upon 
the  streets  which  branch  off  from  tlie  busy  thorouy^hfare,  by  the  time  we  reach  the 
water  we  have  in  the  names  of  the  streets  reail  Sir  Allan's  autobio_<rraphy  in  brief  the 
names  of  the   friends,    military   and   political,   b_\-   whose  aid  he   had   risen. 

Then  Lochearne  Stn^et,  branchini,^  off  Dundurn  .Stn^^l,  reminds  us  that  Sir  Allan 
had  in  memor\-  his  o^randfatluM-'s  seat  on  Lochearne  in  Perthshire  when  he  named 
JhiUiiitni  Casl/c.  iM'om  this  baronial  eyr\-  on  the  lleiylus  the  oKl  ea,L;le  in  his  latt'r 
da\s  would  come  out  into  the  sun,  and,  lookini,^  down  upon  the  Nounu  city,  would 
plume  himself  up/on  its  t^rowth  and  prosperity.  Certainly  the  (ireat  Western  Railway 
which  thunclert'd  by  and  shook  i\u\  cliff  beneath  his  feel  was  won  for  Hamilton  chielly 
by  Sir  Allan's  diplomacy  and  pc:rsistence.  Hamilton  has  since,  under  the  advice  of 
sagacious  journalists,  stretched  out  her  arms  to  Lake  I'.rie,  and  Lake  Huron,  and 
C'i(;oroian  Haw  and  has  ^rappled  those  commercial  allies  to  her  with  "hooks  ot  sti'el  "; 
but  tlu;  foundation  of  this  far-seeinn'  railroad  polic\-  was  laitl  in  the  dreat  Western 
Railway,  which  lirst  L,rave  Hamilton  her  commercial  preeminence  o\i'r  Duiulas  and 
other  rivals. 

Hamilton  is  nobly  entlowed,  not  alone  for  commerce,  but  for  j^rand  scenic  effects. 
The  hii^h  escarpment  of  the  Xiai^ara  formation,  o\er  which  the  i^n^at  cataract  takes  its 
|)lun_o;t\  closely  follows  the  shore  of  Lake  Ontario  from  the  b'alls  to  the  edge  of 
Burlington  Hay.  Here  it  sutldenly  sweeps  back  from  the  lake  in  a  deep  curve,  forming 
a  magnilicent  amphitheatre,  and  leaxing  at  its  base  a  broad  stage  gently  sloping  towards 
Burlington  Wax.  A  fmer  natural  site  for  a  great  city  could  scarcely  be  imagined. 
Then  the  irregular  plan  of  the  early  village  has  been  most  happily  turned  to  the  best 
artistic  effect.  Cieorge  Hamilton  o])ened  a  straight  thoroughfare  east  and  west,  called  it 
Main  Street,  and  attempted  to  make  his  village  crystallize  in  regular  blocks  along  this 
thread.  An  older  nucleus,  however,  existed  in  the  Ciorc.'.  or  Iriviuiiu  towards  which 
con\-erged  King  .Street,  |anu;s  Street,  ami  the  York  (  Toronto)  Roatl,  now  \'ork  Street, 
b'ortunately  the  crystallizing  forces  of  the  village  wen?  stronger  than  its  founder  and 
first  lawgiver:  an  air-space  was  securetl  to  the  future  cit\-.  The  Ciore  is  one  ot  the 
most  striking  and  delightful  features  in  Hamilton  :  it  is  a  truly  ri'freshing  surprise  to 
tiiul  a  beautiful  public  gardi'U  in  the  \-er\  heart  of  the  business  part  ol  the  cit}'. 
This  triangular  inclosure  is  laid  out  in  parterres  of  ri(-h  flowers  and  loliage  plants; 
a  noble  fountain  diffuses  a  L'rateful  coolness,  antl  restores  to  this  thanged  landscape  the 
old  music  of  ih''  running  brooks  that  once  used  here  to  sing  meri-ily  on  their  course  to 
the  Bay.  A  gract.'ful  drinking-fountain  in\  ites  the  thirsty  uayfarer  ;  and  when  the  city 
is  en    fete  and    the    lami)s  of    the  Gore  are  all   lit    up,     one  given   to    musing    recalls  his 


J 


NOh'  rifl'.RX  NRICIinOR 


6 1 


larK    r(;uliiii_;s  of    Iki^lulatl   ;incl   llu? 

( "larddis    of     ihc     Klialifs.        ll     was 

surcK    a    liappv    in^piralioii    lo    thus 

soticn    the  auslcriiy   ol     Inisincss,    if) 

mellow    the    drxiK'ss    ol     IliiaiKc    1)\' 

the    Identic,    rclrcshiiiL;'     iiilliiciur    of 

foiiiUaiiis  anil    llowcrs  I     Those   mer- 

ehaiUs   aiul  lnalUlla^■lul■el■^  .iiul    liank- 

ers     ami      lawx'ers      that      look      out 

on     such     scenes     must     consciouiK' 

or    unconsciously    lie    ele\at<'(l    in     their   tastes.       Such    inllnenccs  were    (1(H'|)1\     considered 

and    carefully    proxided    in   the  old   (ireek  cities,   hut    oiu"  mincis  are   onix     just    heoinnimt^" 

tf)   recoLjni/'.e   these   powerful,    if  silent,    forces.        Xow   mark    the    l>uildiiv.4s,      ('S|)ecialh    the 


PIKR      1  \n     I  If.IIT. 


62  OUR   PICTURESQUE 

newer  biiiUlin<j^s,  — surrouiulino;-  or  neighbourinjj;'  on  tlie  Ciore.  Ever)'  citizen  in  this 
neiirhbourhood  seems  to  feel  the  sentim(;nt  iiob/cssc  o/>/in- :  our  huildintj's  miis/  be 
worthy  of  the  place.  This  artistic  sentiment  is  clearly  seen  in  such  buildinLi^s  as  the 
new  offices  of  the  Hamilton  Provident  and  Loan  Society  and  those  of  the  Canada  Life 
Assurance  Company.  And  the  feeling  has  inoculated  the  Count}-  Council,  who  have 
joined  hands  with  the  city  and  erected  in  Prince's  Square  a  Court  House,  which  does 
signal  honour  to  both  corporations.  The  Educational  institutions  of  Hamilton  have 
always  been  among  its  chief  glories.  The  Public  system  of  schools  commences  with 
numerous,  well-equipped  Ward  Schools,  and  is  crowned  by  a  Collegiate  Institute,  which 
is  the  largest  organization  of  the  kind  in  the  Province.  There  is  a  Young  Ladies' 
College,  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  Wesleyan  Church,  and  an  extensive 
system  of   Roman   Catholic  Separate  Schools. 

Hamilton  is  the  seat  of  two  Bishops'  Sees, — the  Anglican  Bishop  of  Niagara,  and 
the  Catholic  Bishop  of  Hamilton.  The  lofty  cathedrals  and  churches  lead  up  the  eye 
as  well  as  the  mind  above  the  smoking  steeples  of  industry.  The  merchants  have 
built  for  themselves  princely  homes  on  the  terraces  of  the  Mountain.  Then,  looking 
down  upon  all  from  the  mountain-brow,  and  piteously  gazing  out  on  a  landscape  of 
unsurpassed  beauty,  is  a  vast  Asylum  for  the  Insane — that  mysterious,  inseparable 
shadow  of  modern  civilization  ! 

In  1858,  when  starting  off  on  his  story  of  "Count  or  Counterfeit,"  the  Rev. 
R.  J.  MacGeorge  described  Hamilton  as  "the  ambitious  and  stirring  little  city."  The 
sobriquet  of  "the  ambitious  little  city"  was  thenceforward  fastened  upon  Hamilton,  the 
middle  term  being  craftily  omitted.  A  quarter-centur\-  has  elapsed  since  "Solomon  of 
Streetsville "  wrote  his  burlesque,  and  time,  which  cures  all  things,  has  removed  all  re- 
proach as  to  the  city's  size,  but  as  to  the  rest,  Hamilton  is  more  stirring  and  more 
ambitious  than  ever.       Ambitious  ?      Why  not  ?      P'or  ambition   is 

" the  spur  tli.it  the   clear  spirit  dotli  raise 

To   scorn   ileliglits   and  live   lahorious   days." 

Dundas  was  the  most  dangerous  rival  of  Hamilton  m  the  race  for  commercial 
preeminence.  But  Ancaster  was  still  earlier  in  the  field,  and  at  one  time  was  the 
centre  of  commerce,  manufactures,  and  postal  communication  for  the  whole  district. 
.In  his  pedestrian  tom-s  throuidi  the  Western  Peninsula,  ('.ov(;rnor  Simcoe  would  extend 
his  already  prolonged  march  in  order  to  enjoy  the  cheer  and  the  bright  ingle-side  of 
his  Ancaster  inn.  As  tlie  fruit  of  Simcoe's  tours,  we  have  the  great  military  highway 
which  he  drew  and  intended  to  open  from  Pointe  au  Baudet  on  the  St.  Lawrence, 
through  Kingston,  York  (Toronto),  the  Head  of  the  Lake  (Dundas),  Oxford  (Wood- 
stock),   London,  and    so  to  the    River    Detroit.       This    great  road    he    named    "  Dunda? 


jVOA'  III  urn  m:  Id  1 1  no  r  63 

Street,"  after  Henry  Dumlas,  Viscount  Melville,  who  diirinj^  Simcoe's  orovernorship  was 
Secretary-at-War  in  the  Duke  of  Portland's  cabinet.  I'roin  this  Street,  which  still  at 
Dundas  is  called  "  Tlu!  Governor's  Road,"  the  town  took  its  name.  The  vast  marsh 
which  occupies  the  lower  part  of  the  picturesque  Dundas  Valley  was  a  noted  resort 
for  water-fowl,  and  the  military  officers  stationed  at  \'ork  (Toronto)  revelled  in  the 
si)ort  that  it  affordetl.  Early  in  the  century.  Captain  Coote,  of  the  lui^dith  or  Kinjj^'s 
Rej^iment,  devoted  himself  to  this  sport  with  so  much  enthusiasm  that,  by  a  well-aimed 
double-barrelled  [nui,  which  broui,dit  down  at  once  i)olh  the  water-fowl  and  the  sports- 
man, the  marsh  was  nicknamed  "  Coote's  Paradise."  \\\  extension,  the  name  was 
applied  to  a  village  that  clustered  around  the  upper  end  of  the  marsh,  and  thus  in  our 
earliest  Parliamentary  records  we  encounter  "petitions"  from  "Coote's  Paradise,"  and 
legislation  based  thereon. 

Recent  geologists  tell  us  that  some  a^ons  ago  the  water  of  the  upper  lakes  dis- 
charged, not  over  the  precipice  at  Niagara,  but  swept  in  a  majestic  tide  down  the 
strath  of  Dundas  ;  and  that  the  great  marsh  and  Burlington  Bay  are  but  the  sur\  ivals 
of  this  ancient  epoch.  Among  the  early  burgesses  of  Dundas  was  one  Pierre  Desjardins, 
wlio,  like  the  mighty  canal-digger,  Lesseps,  did  a  good  deal  of  original  thinking  for  him- 
self and  for  others.  He  saw  the  trade  of  the  Western  Peninsula  falling  in  a  thin  cas- 
cade over  the  mountain  at  Ancaster  and  Grimsby  and  the  rest;  "  (//  bicii.  )iics  amis, 
why  not  turn  the  whole  current  of  that  trade  down  this  ancient  waterway-  of  the 
Dundas  Valley?"  So  Peter  went  to  work,  dug  his  canal  the  whole  length  of  the 
marsh,  and  wound  it  around  Burlington  Heights,  which  was  easier  than  carrying  it 
through.  The  Great  Western  Railway  presently  began  its  embankments,  and,  by 
arrangement  with  that  great  mound-builder,  the  Desjardins  Canal  pierced  the  Heights. 
The  remains  of  a  mammoth  were  disinterred,  startling  the  Irish  navvies  with  the 
consideration,   "  What  game-bags  the  sportsmen   in  the  ould   times  must    have  had  ! ' 

With  the  opening  of  the  Desjardins  and  Burlington  Canals  the  keenest  rivalr\-  began 
between  Dundas  and  Hamilton,  old  Ancaster  looking  down  amusedly  at  this  race  from 
her  seat  on  the  Mountain.  The  odds  seemc^d  in  favour  of  Dundas  until  the  opening  of 
the  Great  Western  Railway,  -headcpiartcrs  at  Hamilton.  The  race  was  then  over! 
Soon  the  water-weeds  began  to  encroach  on  the  Desjardins  Canal,  and  the  ver\-  name 
was  beginning  to  get  unfamiliar  when  the  frightful  accident  of  the-  12th  of  March,  1857, 
gave  tlic  place  a  renewed  and  a  most  tragic  interest.  The  afternoon  passenger  train 
from  Toronto,  after  entering  on  the  drawbridge  that  spanned  the  canal  at  Burlington 
Heights,  was  heard  to  give  a  piercing  shriek,  aiul  a  moment  afterwards  was  seen  to 
crush  through  the  bridge  and  plunge  into  the  canal  fort\'  feet  below.  The  evening  was 
bitterly  cold.  .Ml  through  the  night,  and  through  the  next  day,  and  next  night,  the 
doleful  task  pTOceeded  of  breaking  up  the  sunken  cars  and  removing  the  now  heedless, 
passengers.      What    spectral    vision    of  tleath  the    engineer   Burntield   saw  before  him   on 


64 


OUR  PICTl  'RESQL  7: 


the  lin'ili^c  when  he  sounded  that  picrcinij^  crx'  will  ncxcr  he  known,  for.  witli  a  heroism 
worthy   ol    C'urliiis  and   old    Koine,    he   ;)iiin!:;<'d   with   his   iron   sti-ed    into   the  aljyss. 

W  hi'n  it  became  apparent  that  r.iili^oad  eiUer|irise  had  altered  the  "  manifest 
destiiu"  of  l)nndas,  the  town  wisel\-  desoted  itself  to  manuhii  tnres  rather  than  to 
na\i^ation,  seleclin:^-  those  manufactures  which  lorm  the  threat  staples  of  commerce  and 
the  pi'ime  mo\'ers  ot  industrv  ,  cotton  manuiai'tin'e,  paper  manulacture,  the  imildin^'  of 
engines  and  boilers,  th('  makiiiL;  ot  wood-w oi'kiiiL;  machinery,  ol  carding'  m.ichines,  and 
of  stei'l  and  iron  tools,  from  the  axe  to  the  ^iant  lathe.  .\  fraternal  relation  has  been 
established  with  its  old  commercial  antagonist,  Hamilton,  by  the  layiuL;'  ol  a  steam 
tramway.  No  xicissitutic  of  fortuni:  can  di'|)ri\'e  I  )undas  ol  the  greatest  ol  her  ancient 
<^dories,  and  that  is  her  glorious  scener\ ,  which  iinoluntarily  brin^^s  every  tourist  to  his 
feet  as  the  train  sweeps  aloiii,;'  the  mountain  terrace.  .""iince  the  day,  more  than  two 
centiu'ies  aj^o,  when  I, a  Salle,  first  of  lun'opeans,  ea/ed  upon  this  sceiier)-,  the  ravine, 
tlu;  neiL;hbourinL;-  cascades,  the  whole;  valle}',  — thiM'e  has  been  but  oni;  verdict,  and 
a_Li;^ainst   that   verdict    I  )undas  need    fear   no  apjx'al  I 

Leaving'  the  l)Luielas  \alley,  we  cannot  do  better  than  strike  across  the  country 
for    the    (irantl     River.        W  (•    take    tlu;    ancient     Indian    trail,    b\'    which    the    lirst    white 


i;k;.  \r    wksm'kn    rau.wav    sr.MUi.N,    uamiliun. 


AY Vv'  riii-RX  xi-n.iinoR 


7.<:^  —    ^ 


URINKIN'C.     lOl'NTAlN     IN    Till-;     GORli 


\v;i\  larcr    tlirnu<rh    these     solitudes,     loliet,  -  s^,  -  -"'      — 

iiKule     his     wav     lioincwards     to     Ouchec 
from      \\\v      newly  -  disco\crccl      Saiill      Ste. 

Marie.  It  was  thro\ii;h  thes(?  L;lens,  and  throui^h  the  archways  of  some  of  these 
ver\-  trees,  that  the  youn*,^  exi)lorer  jo\-oiisly  strodt;  alonL,^  with  tlu;  tirst  roiinh  ma[)  of 
our  Western  Peninsula  in  his  pocket.  I'^ollowin^'  this  old  Indian  trail  throutrh  a 
series  of  picturescjue  landscapits,  we  strike  tlu;  charming'  riv(M'  which  tlie  I'^rench. 
from  the  size  of  the  eml)Ouchure,  named  the  "(irand,"  and  which  (jovernor  Simcoe 
vainly  attempted,  1)\-  solemn  statute,  to  re-christen  the  "  Ouse."  This  district  feii 
within  the  western  ridint^  of  his  County  of  York.  The  Eni^lish  County  of  York  is  tra- 
versi^tl  by  the  Ouse;  (•/;;'(;  this  river  oui^ht  to  l)e,  not  the  "  (irand,"  hut  the  "Ouse."  \\\ 
a  similar    loi^ical     process,    "Toronto"    should    he    \'()rk,   autl    became    York    accordinylv. 


66 


o(/<  /'/c7'(/</-sorj- 


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\0R/'///-:RX  MiU.llJiOK  67 

Happily  in  ncitiicr  case  did  \\\v.  new  laix-l  adiicrc.  \V<:  liavc  strut  k  tlic  Ciraiul  Rivt-r. 
wiicrc  the  old  Mohawk  Church  stands  scntr\-  oxer  the  touih  tiiat  incloses  the  mortal  re- 
mains of  Brant,  the  greatest  of  Indian  chieftains.  This  church  is  all  that  now  remains 
of  Mrant"s  amhitious  and  once  famous  Indian  villai^c.  which  lor  a  half-century  con- 
tributed so  main  picturestpie  pa,!L,'es  to  the  narratives  of  toin'ists.  MusinL,^  o\cr  P)rant's 
toml)  in  the  deepening;  shadow  of  tlu;  Mohawk  Church,  one's  thoui^dits  are  borne  with 
the  murmuring  river  to  the  lake  shores  that  often  witnessed  the  prowess  ot  those  terri- 
ble warriors;  and  thence  onwards  to  those  shores  beyond  the  seas  where  brench  and 
l'lnL;lish  statesmen  ofttMi  aiixiousl)-  awaited  tlu;  ilecisions  ol  Indian  council-hres.  While 
cullivatini^  tln'  alliance  of  the  Hurons  around  Cieor^ian  Ha\ ,  Champlain  was  betraNCtI 
into  the  fatal  error  of  makin;;'  an  inroad  into  the  lair  of  the  Ir()([U()is  south  ol  Lake 
Ontario.  The  British  (io\-ernment,  on  the  other  hand,  has  always  shown  a  marked  and 
humane  consideration  for  all  tin;  aborii^ines  of  the  Colonies,  without  reference  to  tribal 
divisions.  Brant  is  affirmed  to  have  been  the  son  of  one  of  the  four  Indian  chiefs 
who  visited  Enjj^hind  in  1710.  Oueen  Annt;  had  these  novel  visitors  comfortably  cared 
for  in  London,  and  attended  by  two  interpreters.  .Students  of  Addison's  Spectator  will 
remember  the  amusing  paper  in  which  are  given  alleged  extracts  from  the  journal  of 
one  of  these  "Indian  Kinj^s": — the  Indian's  mythical  account  of  the  buildintj  of  .St. 
Paul's  Cathetlral,  and  his  philosophical  remarks  on  I'^n^lish  politics  and  fashions.  Out-en 
Anne  became  so  interest(;d  in  the  evancrelization  of  the  Retl  Men  that  she  presented 
to  th(!  aborii^ines  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  a  commimion  service  of  solitl  silver,  which 
went  through  all  the  turmoils  of  the  Revolutionary  War  iminjunxl,  and  was  brouiL^ht 
over  by  Brant  on  his  emic^ratins;'  from  the  Mohawk  to  the  (irand  River.  The  service 
is  still  carefully  preserved  and  is  used  at  Communion.  It  is  rej^arded  by  the  Indians 
with  Ljreat  vt.'ueration  ;  for,  b\-  historical  as  well  as  ndiyious  associations,  it  visibl\  links 
them  to  the  great  past  of  their  race.  Is  it  wontlerful  that  the  more  thoughtful  of 
this  ancient  race  should  now  s[)end  tht'ir  lives  in  sad  day-ilreams  on  tlu^  epoch  when 
the  Irotpiois  were  imdisputed  masters  of  all  the  Creat  Lakes,  and  of  all  the  ntjble 
rivers  and  of  the  rich  woodlands  antl  their  sunn)'  gkules  from  the  Ottawa  and  the 
Hudson  to  the  Mississippi?  Lahontan,  writing  in  1684,  estimated  each  of  the  fr.-e 
cantons  of  the  Iroquois  Confederacy  at  fourteen  thousand  souls,  of  whom  fifteen 
hundred  bore  arms.  A  sixth  "nation,"  the  Tuscaroras,  was  admitted  in  1714,  bring- 
ing with  it  another  warlike  contingent.  By  their  sagacity  and  elotiuence  at  the 
councibtire,  as  well  as  b\'  their  matchless  bravery  in  the  field,  the  Mohawks  long  held 
the  Hegemony  in  this  unitpie  Confederation.  Is  it  wonderful  to  find  this  taciturn  but 
emotional  race  living  in  the  past  rather  than  in  the  present?  Talk  of  "reserves" 
to  a  race-  whose  hunting-ground  was  half  a  Continent  ;  you  might  as  well  have  allo- 
cated Lake  Windermere  to  the  Danish  vikings  that  roamed  at  will  over  the  wild 
North  Sea ! 


68  01  h'  ricrrRi-:s()ri'. 

The  Treaty  of  I  ln(lil  in  171,,  dciLiitd  tlic  Ii()(|iiiiis  (."()Mf(;(ler;u'y, — tlu'ii  coinpris- 
injj^  I'ive  Nations,  -to  lie  iindi  r  the  innicc  lion  of  (ircal  Britain.  I  lie  trust  thus  undtr- 
laken  lias  ever  since  inlhieucfij  tlic  policy  of  tiu'  Canadian  as  well  as  ol  ihe  Imperial 
Government.  \\  hen  the  Civil  contest  broke  out  l)et\v<'en  Mni^laud  and  the  .\mericau 
Colonies,  the  Indians  oc;nerally  remained  faithful  to  the  "(ireat  I'ather,"  and  i^rant's 
inrtuence  far  mon;  than  out\veiL,died  the  opposition  of  the  Sem^ca  chief,  "  k(,'d  Jacket." 
When  the  l<e\()lutionar\  War  closed,  the  l'.  V..  Loyalists  wen-  at  lirst  forL,M)tten.  and 
amoui,''  them  the  Indian  allies,  whose  interests  in  the  United  .Slates  were  ol»\iousl\ 
imperilled  b\  the  ch.in^e  of  ( iovernmi'iit.  iirant  so  strenuously  re|)resent<(l  the 
matter,  that  (ieneral  llaUlimand,  the  l-ieuti'nant-(  iovernor  of  Upper  Canada,  assij^ned 
to  the  Indian  Loyalists  a  larm;  reservation  on  tlu;  Grand  River.  This  comprised 
orij^inally  a  belt  tw<'l\c  mih's  wide,  interesected  b\-  the  river  from  the  mouth  to  the 
sourc<'.  \  arious  contiuLjents  of  the  .Six  Nations  arrixcd  and  formed  cantons  alonj^ 
the  ri\cr  front.  I'Or  his  own  tribe,  the  Mohawks,  Mrant  selected  the  pictures(pie  and 
fertile  \alle\'  in  which  Hrantford  was  half  a  century  later  to  bi;  fi)undcd.  It  w.is 
lirant's  earh-  ambition  to  win  oxer  his  pef)ple  to  civilized  life,  and  to  establish  a  pros- 
perous ;uul  inlluential  Mohawk  Canton,  lie  h.ul  been  alread\'  eni^ai^cd  on  this 
scheme  in  the  Mohawk  \'alh;\'.  His  tribe  were  not  only  fierce  warriors  and  lithe 
huntsmen,  but  fairly  yood  farmers.  Tlu;y,  as  well  as  their  triends,  the  Senecas,  had 
not  only  wide  strain  tields,  but  rich  fruit  orchards,  I'"or  seventx'  yi-ars  alter  tiu;  tin;  and 
sword  of  Sullivan's  e.\i)edition  had  swc;pt  over  their  valU;\s,  the  traces  oi  Indian  in- 
dustry were  still  discernibU;,  Brant  emit^^rated  to  the  (inind  River,  havin<j  present 
to  his  memory  the  wavinj^  L;rain-tields  and  tht;  hill-sides,  white;  with  orchard  blossoms, 
which  Indian  husi)andry  had  added  t(j  the  landscapes  of  the  Mohawk  and  W^yomin^- 
Valleys.  He  hoped  to  re[)roduce  such  scenes  amou;^  the  rich  woodlands  of  the  (irand 
River.  Ikit  it  was  no  li.tjht  task  to  brinj;'  back  to  peaceful  thous^hts  and  pursuits  his 
wild  warriors  after  si.x  years  of  savat^^e  warfare.  Even  without  this  recent  frenzy  in 
their  blood,  there  was  in  the  Indian  race  a  passionate  yearning-  after  wild  wood- 
land life  that  would  break  out  afr(;sh  aft(;r  many  years  of  civilized  routine.  C^n 
Brant's  death,  in  1807,  his  widow  promptlj-  abandoned  the  comfortable  homestead, 
with  its  train  of  servants,  at  W^ellington  .Scpiare,  and,  after  twenty-seven  years  of 
civilized  life,  set  up  a  wii^wam  on  the  (irand  River.  Au,(,aistus  Jones,  the  Deputy 
Provincial  .Surveyor, — remembenxl  lor  his  survey  of  Yonge  .Street  and  of  v(;ry  many 
of  our  early  townships, — married  an  Indian  bride  at  the  (irand  Riv{;r,  Init  their  son, 
Peter  Jones  (".Sacred  Waving  I<'eathers," )  the  famous  missionary,  tells  us  that,  owint; 
to  his  father's  fretpienl  absence,  the  household  reverted  to  Indian  life  and  habits; 
that  h(;  himself  lived  and  wand(r(;d  for  fourt(;en  years  with  tlu;  Indians  in  the 
Grantl  River  woods,  blackening  his  face  with  charcoal  to  coiuiliate  the  Munedoos 
(Goblins),  and   l)eha\ing  j^enerally  like  a  young   pagan. 


A(^A'/7//:A'.V   .\7:Vr;///.VVv' 


6q 


(lovt^rnor  1  laldiiuiiiiil  had 
assij^nctl  spt'cially  to  Brant's 
trihc,  the  Mohawks,  a  beauti- 
ful tract  six  mik's  scjuarc, 
most  |)icturcs(|uc'ly  situatcil. 
and  intersected  l)y  tlie  (irand 
l<i\t  r.  I'Or  niort!  con\cnienl 
intercourse  Hranl  threw  a  kind 
oi     l)ooni    across    liic    ri\(;r    at 


a  pomt  where  it  contracts  its  channel, 
and  near  liie  site  of  tlie  line  iron  hrid^c 
wliich  was  recenlK  opened  h\-  His  l'",\- 
cellciu)-  the  .Mar(|uis  of  Lome,  and 
wliicli    hears     liis    name.        This     crossin;^ 

came  to  he  l<iiown  as  "  l^rant's  I-'ord  "  and  afterwards  "Hrantford";  just  as  C'haucers 
i^'enth'  tadcnce  "  Oxenford  "  Ix-came  sliarpencd  and  slirilled  into  "().\f()r(l."  The  chief- 
tain's |)hin  of  cixilization  set  f)ut  witli  the  Mxan^clization  of  his  irihc  In  17S5  lie  \  isited 
En^rlaml,   where  he  was   rt-ceived    with   distinction,   and    011   his   return    he    Iniilt    with   the 


70  OCR  PICTURESOl'R 

funds  he  had  collected  the  Mohawk  Church,  as  we  still  find  it.  Resuminjj^  the  studies 
of  his  earlier  and  his  happiest  days,  he  trimslated  into  the  Mohawk  dialect  the  Service 
of  the  AuLjlican  Church  and  the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew.  In  this  translation  of  the 
Gospel  it  is  very  intercstini;^  to  note  that  he  renders  "  town "  or  "  \illatre "  by 
"  Canada,'  thus  supplyinjf  an  undesi^jniHl  hut  strikinj^  elucidation  of  our  National  name. 
This  Mohawk  Church  was  the  tirst  teinpU:  dedicated  to  Christianity  in  Uppc:r  Canada, 
and  the  "  sound  of  a  church-goinq'  hell  "  was  here  lirst  lu.'ard.  Though  the  church 
is  left  the  lonely  survivor  of  Brant's  village,  s(,'r\  ice  is  still  regularl)-  conducted 
there  in  the  Mohawk  dialect,  which  is  nov,'  gent  rall\-  understood  by  all  of  the  .Six 
Nations.  Towards  the  end  of  his  life  Brant  changed  his  residence  to  Wellington 
S(]uare  (Burlington),  where  he  occupieil  a  house  and  estate  bestowed  u])oii  him  by 
the  (i()\crnment.  On  Ma\'-l)a\'  of  every  \ear  tlu;  banks  of  the  Graiul  River  above 
and  below  the  I'ord  (exhibited  unusual  stir  and  animation  ;  for  this  was  the  great 
annual  festival  of  the  .Six  Nations.  As  we  look  (nit  from  the  Lome  Bridge  on  the 
charming  landscape  that  has  in  places  survived  the  change  of  race,  let  us  conjure 
away  the  busy  streets  and  mills  and  factories,  the  church  spinas  and  educational 
institutes  of  the  present  city;  let  us  take  tlu;  "  to\vn-|)lot "  of  1S30  awa\-  back  to  its 
primeval,  park-like  beauty.  These  river-banks  are  once  mow.  clothed  to  the  vergi? 
with  rich  woods,  that  are  now  putting  forth  tlu-ir  young  foli.ige.  Here  and  there 
are  natural  meadows  alread\'  jojous  with  bright  spring  llowers.  The  CJrand  River 
dances  merrily  in  the  sun  this  May-morning,  as  great  c.uioes  sweep  up  and  down, 
bearing  warriors  gay  with  wa\ing  fi;athers  and  brilliant  with  vermillion.  Their 
tomahawks  have  been  polished  to  the  brightness  of  silver,  and  llash  out  from  their 
belts  like  meteors  as  the  warriors  bow  to  the  sweep  of  their  paddles.  The  smoke 
of  wigwams  ascends  the  still  morning  air  in  slumberous  columns.  Presently,  all 
the  canoes  converge  towards  the  Mohawk  X'illage.  The  sl.ite  coach  of  Brant,  ihc; 
great  Tekarihogea  of  the  Six  Nations, — "  the  chief  of  chicflains  and  warriors," — 
approaches,  drawn  by  four  horses  and  attended  b\-  a  numerous  retinue  of  livtMied 
servants.  He  Is  received  with  a  barbaric  pomp,  that  to  those  earnest  men  is  no 
unmeaning  parade.  As  w(.'  scan  tlunr  faces,  we  remember  with  a  shudiler  the\  are 
the  very  men  who  swept  with  the  whirlwind  of  their  revenge;  the  valleys  of  the  .Sus- 
quehanna! Unhappih'  for  poor  (icrlntdc  of  \\'\oiin)to\  Brant  was  iiol  there  to  restrain 
them,  as  h(;  (dsewhere  did,  and  as  he  alone  of  mortals  could.  liappier  ilays  and 
peaceful  scenes  have  now  befallen  the  Irocpiois;  to-da\-  the\'  an;  met  near  the  Grand 
River  l''ord  for  festivity.  Tin-  war-dances  begin,  ami  they  arc;  given  with  an  earnest- 
ness suggestive  ol  rectml  and  terrible  ri;hearsals.  We  are  glad  when  the  younger 
warriors  introduce  tlu-ir  games  of  actixily,  notabl\'  the  gq-acful  Lacrosse,  in  which  the 
"Brants"  of  another  race  and  a  futunt  gtMieration  will  perhajts  by  their  achievenu-nts 
obscure    the    remembrance    of    this    May-Day.       Now    the    daylight     fails;     ilu-    cimp- 


AOR  TUERX  NEIGHBOR 

fires  Hg^ht  up  into  wild  relief  the  wigwams,  those  dusky,  athletic  lunns,  and  i!ie 
foliage  of  the  woodlands.  The  assembled  warriors  form  a  circle  around  their  re- 
nowned Tekarihogea  and  listen  to  his  ever)-  word  with  profound  attention ;  for 
Brant  has  lately  returneil  from  his  second  visit  to  the  Court  of  the  "  Cireat  I'ather," 
where  he  lias  l^een  receixed  like  a  "King  of  Men,"  as  he  is.  He  is  full  of  bright 
anticipation.  He  has  brought  over  mone\-  to  c;rect  a  church,  and  he  has  had  a 
church-bell  specially  cast,  which  will  soon  arrive.  As  to  that  an.xious  (juestion,  the 
fee-simple  of  the  Indian  Reserves,  the  I'rince  of  Wales  assured  iiim  on  his  honour 
all  would  be  well.  \Vc  are  in  the  midst  of  the  chieftain's  bright  anticipations  for 
the  Six  Nations  and  their  Mohawk  metropolis,  when  our  reverie  is  broken  by  a 
railwa)'  train  thundering  athwart  the  rixer.  We  find  ourselves  still  on  the  Lome 
Bridge,  the  dark  current  is  swirling  j)a5t  the  abutment,  antl  the  gas-lights  are  glancing 
on  the  water.  What  of  Brant's  Mohawk  metropolis  and  of  his  bright  hopes  for  the 
Six   Nations  ? 

Half-civilized  communities  have  at  any  time  but  little  cohesion,  aiul,  men  during 
Brant's  life!,  disru[)tive  forces  were  actively  at  work.  A  faction  of  his  tribe  split  off 
and  went  away  to  the  Bay  of  Ouinte.  His  eldest  son,  a  morose  ami  implacable  .savage, 
was  deeply  concerned  in  these  domestic  broils:  he  led  a  continuous  and  determined  oj)po- 
sition  to  tin;  chit^ftain's  sagacious  plans,  and  suggested  unworthy  motives.  I'oUowing  up 
his  unnatural  hate,  he  made  a  murderous  assault  upon  his  lather  in  his  own  house  at 
Wellington  Stpiare,  but  the  old  warrior  .  smote  him  such  a  blow  that  he  died  of  the 
effects.  Under  the  cloud  of  this  awful  tragedy, — the  gruesome  eviilence  of  which  is 
still  discernible  at  Brant  House, — the  chieftain  rapidlj-  failed.  The  last  words  caught 
from  his  dying  lips  were  a  gasping  entreaty  to  care  for  the  interests  of  the  poor  Ked 
Men.  His  youngest  son  b)-  the  third  wife  succeedetl  him  in  his  chieftainship  and 
dignity.  The  son  was  manfully  struggling  with  the;  difficult  task  that  had  been  left 
to  him  when  the  unfortunate  War  of  1812  broke  out,  with  its  demoralizing  influences. 
At  the  hrst  scent  of  blood  the  Mohawk  warriors  returned  with  a  tremendous  rei)ound 
towards  sa\agc  habits  of  life.  Their  gallant  young  chieftain  led  them  in  person  at 
the  battles  of  Oucenston  Heights,  Lundy's  Lane,  and  the  Beaxcr  Dam;  but  during 
the  war  he  had  great  difficult)-  in  keeping  them  uiuk-r  restraint,  and  it  was  still  niore 
difticull.  when  the  war  was  over,  to  win  them  back  to  peaceful  industry.  The 
scheme  of  the  gn-at  Iro()uois  Colon\-  with  the  Mohawk  metropolis  was  a  most  in- 
teresting political  experiment,  but  its  failure  was  a  foregone  conclusion.  In  \'^^o 
Captain  John  Brant  recognized  the  issue  1)\-  granting  a  "  town-|)lot "  to  a  mcjre  organi- 
zable  race.  ( )n  this  site  arose  successi\-ely  the  village,  town,  city  oi  Br.-uub)ril,  which 
happily  perpetuates  the  Lnglish  namt;  of  the  great  Thayenilanegea.  Scarcely  had  the 
younger  chieftain  seen  the  foundation  laid  for  this  ir.ore  promising  enterprise  when, 
after    six    hours'   illness,   he    fell    a   \  ictim    to    cholera    during    the    dreadful    visitation    of 


72 


O I  'R   PICTL  lUlSQ  L  J: 


THK     OLD     MOHAWK     (   IHKCII. 


1832.        His    ashes    wciH^     laid    beside     those    of    his     lainoiis     sire         Their    toiiil)     i)rin_i;s 
annually   main-   pilgrims  to    Uranlfortl,   and   thence   to   th<.'    Mohawk    Chiurh. 

I  lu;  Council  1  louse  nf  the  Six  Nations  is  now  in  the  1  ownsliip  ol  lusearora, 
about  eleven  miles  from  lirantfortl.  The  views  alon^;  th<'  river  in  this  delightful  drive 
are  remarkably  line,  especially  wliere  we  look  down  u\)nu  the  "ox-bow"  bend:  there, 
on  the  rich  alluvium  ol  How  I'ark,  the-  Honourable  ("leor^c  Brown  established  his 
famous  henls  of  shortdiorn  cattle,  which  are  still  one  of  tin-  sii;hts  of  this  neii^hbonr- 
hootl.  The  Marl  of  HiitU'rin  was  entertained  in  i''^74  b\  the  Six  Nations  at  their 
Council  House.  W'ith  these  assi-mbled  chiefs  ami  warriors  the  main  concern  was,  not 
their  own  welfare,  but  the  memory  of  their  ^reat  chief!  They  entrusit'd  the  ( lov- 
ernor-Cicneral    with     an    atldress    to    II.     K.     II.     Prince     Arthur,     who,     on     his    visit     to 


.\  ■(  Vv'  TlUiRX  A  liJGUBi  Vv' 


/  >> 


Canaila  in  i860,  had  been  enrolled  a  chief  of  the  Irocpiois  Confederation.  The  oiilconie 
of  this  acklr(;ss  was  a  public  movement  for  a  Brant  Memorial,  which  it  is  intended 
shall  occupy  the  centre  of  the  \Mctoria   Park.    Hrantford,   opposite  the  Court   House. 

Alonj^  the  (irand    River  Valley  from  Hrantford   to   Fert^us  we  have  a  Ioiil;-  series  of 
picturesque  si:ats  of  industr\-.       The  chief  are    ikantford.    I'aris,   (ialt,    IVeston    and    Iilora 
on   the   main   river;       Ayr  on    the    Nith,    which    joins    tin;    (iranil    River   at    Paris;    and 
(iiielph  on   the   Speed, 
which  joins  the  (irand 
River  at   Preston. 

Amontr    the    leading 
industries  of   Hrantford 
are      manufactures     of 
eUL^dnes     and      boilers; 
port  abl  e     saw  -  mills  ; 
_L,frist-mill     machinery ;     aiLjricul- 
tural    implements  ;     stoves    and 
ploui^hs  ;      cotton     and     stone- 
ware.      Ainiilst   these   enj^-ross- 
ini^^  interests  the    etlucation    of 
tlu;  youni^  has  not    been   over- 
looked.      The     Public     luluca- 
tional  System    imludes,  besitles 
the     ordinary     e(|uipmenl      of 
Central     and     Ward      Schools, 
an  extensive    CoIle_<j[iate    Insti- 
tute.       The-    younij^     I.ailies'    College"    is     under    tlu* 
oversijj^lil     of     \\\v     Presbyterian     Church.        In     tlu; 
vicinit\-  of     Hrantford    are    two    special    educational 
institutions;     the    Indian     Institute,    under    the    con- 
trol  of  a  benevolent    corporation,   constituted 
in     1640;    and    the     (  )niario     Institution     for 
the     Hlind.     which     is     administe-red     bv      the 
Provincial   ( iov  I'rnnu'Ul. 

Prom  the  hill  we  have  now  reached  look 
away  south  across  the  broad  vallev  to  the 
woodeil  hei!4;hts.  Nestling  amon^-  those  distant  tree-, 
m  the  days  of  its  late  owner,  sui^^L^U'sted.  not  hard-handed  husbandry,  but  literarv  leisure 
and  scientific  research.  The  house  lav  back  from  tln'  hi-hw.iv  with  a  hospitable  vine- 
Had  porch  ;    and,   if    you   strolled   to  the  edi^e  of  the   ^rounds,   vou    looked    down    from    a 


lies    a    cosv     llomestead     vvjucll. 


74  o(7^:  ricriRi-.sijci-: 

lofty  arbour  upon  a  ri\er  \ista  of  c;\c(.;('clini:^  loveliness.  Aniiil  llu;  inspirinu^  sccncr)*  of 
Tutelo  Heights  was  conceived  and  brout^ht  forth  that  most  surprisin_<^  of  articulate  crea- 
tures, the  Speaking  Teh-phone.  It  was  in  llu-  long  summer  days  of  1S74,  -  just  when 
the  golden  wheat-fields  on  the  lleights  were  waving  a  welcomes  to  the  har\i;sters, — that 
the  germinal  iilea  occin'rt-d  to  Proft^ssor  Ciraham  Hell.  Then  follow«;d  two  \ears  of  in- 
tense thought  and  constant  e.xperiinent.  Among  Canadians  there  wen;  a  ft;w  men 
"visionary"  enough  to  realize  the  \  ast  possibilities  of  the  instrument,  notably  ntMgh- 
bour  Brown  of  Bow  Park,  and  his  brother.  .Mr.  W.  11.  Griffm,  the  Hrantford  agent 
of  the  l)oniinion  Telegraph  Companx ,  generously  ga\c  his  nights  and  the  vise  of  his 
wires  to  the  cause,  anil  thus  the  wv.w  inxeiition  came  tirst  to  be  tested  on  an  actual 
telephonic  circuit  between  Hrantford  and  Tutelo  Heights.  It  was  a  balmy  August 
night  of  1S76,  tran([uil  and  starlight — a  night  which  none  of  us  who  wt-re  present  in 
the  porch  on  the  Heights  art;  likely  to  forget.  A  prefatory  "llo\-,  hoy!"  spoken  into 
the  Telephone  was  swiftl)'  answered  back  by  "  Ho\-,  hoy!"  Some  weird,  ghostly  echo  ? 
No  :  a  cheery  human  \oice  repl\  ing  from  Hrantford, — yonder  where  the  distant  lights 
are  glimmering  in  the  vallev.  TIeartv  congratulations  were  exchanged.  Then  a  i)ara- 
graph  was  read  from  the  nev»-s  of  the  day, — by  an  auspicious  coincitlence,  some  project 
of  high  hope  and  expectation.  The  sentences  ilistilled  from  an  aerial  wire,  and  from 
the  earth  beneath  our  fei;t  into  the  little  receivcM',  word  by  word,  clear  and  bright  as 
amber.  There  was  something  inexpressibly  solemn  in  that  first  human  xoice  ilowing 
in  out  of  boundless  sjiace  and  welling  up  from  the  foundations  of  the  world.  A  pause. 
Then  a  slender  runlet  of  sweet,  plaintive  music  trickled  into  the  ear;  other  voices 
swelled  the  rt'frain,  and  now  a  \ery  fountain  of  meloily  gushed  forth.  'The  Tele- 
phone has  since  become  oiu;  of  the  most  familiar  of  scientific  instruments  ;  but, 
on  that  memorable  occasion,  when  its  powi-rs  were  first  unfolded,  the  scene  might 
well  be  thought  a  Icvt'c  of  King  Oberon,  —  an  enchanted  Dream  of  th(;  Mitl-summer 
Night. 

Between  Brantford  and  Paris  ri\er-views  of  g;reat  beauty  reward  the  adventurous 
canoeist.  Paris,  like  Ouebec,  has  an  upper  ami  lower  town  :  the  tlividing  line  here  is  the 
Nith,  or  "  Smith's  C"re(,'k,"  which,  after  winding  through  deep,  romantic  glens,  joins  the 
Granil  ki\(;r.  'The  settlement  was  originally  called  "'The  T'orks  of  the  (irand  Ri\er" 
until  Hiram  Capron,  local!)-  dignifu'd  as  "King"  Ca|)ron,  raised  the  standard  of  revolt. 
H«'  called  a  public  meeting  (about  iS;^6)  and  protested  against  having  to  head  all  his 
letle-rs  with  "'The  T\)rks  of  the  (irand  River."  He  recommended  the  wonl  "Paris" 
both  for  shortness,  and  because  there  was  so  much  crude  plaster  of  Paris  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. 'Thus  the  settlement  got  the  name  Paris,  and  the  shrewd  X'ermonter  gained 
a  perpetual  advertisement  for  his  gypsum  beds  and  |»laster  mill  !  'The  gypsum 
deposit  on  the  (irand  River  extentis  from  Cayuga  to  P.u-is,  a  distance  of  about 
thirty-five    miles.       Geologically    it    belongs    to    \.\\v.    "Onondaga"    formation,    and,    at 


\()A' rni-.RX  MUiiiinoR 


/D 


COLI.KdlAI  i:     INSllllll.     UKANIIOKI). 


Paris,  tlie  deposit  is  divided  into 
two  veins  of  four  or  tnc  feet 
in  thickness  1)\-  a  four-tool  stra- 
iinii  of  shale.  The  veins  are 
mined  back  to  considerable  tlis- 
tances  from  the  river-hanks, 
leaving;  <i  series  of  dark  cata- 
combs, and  thus  s^ixin^  to  the 
C'anailian  Paris  at  least  a  sub- 
terranean     resemblance      to     the 

Irench    metropolis.        .Amonij^    the    characteristic    industries  of    this    pictiu-escpie    town,    its 
kniltinu;'   factories  shouKl   not   be  overlooked. 

rile  no\clist,  John  (ialt,  is  responsible  for  nian\-  of  the  o'en^raphical  names  that  are 
found  within  or  near  the  old  domain  of  the  Canada  Com|)an\'.  Many  ])U//linLi  names 
of  townships  become  abinulantly  clear  b\  referenie  to  a  list  of  the  C"om|)an\'s  dire(tors 
dinin;^'  the  years  when  (ialt  was  their  Supt'rintende  it.  M.un  names  were  bestowed  by 
him  as  a  compliment  to  others,  or  i)\  oth<-rs  as  a  lomplimenl  to  him.  .Anion^'  the 
latter  was  "(ialt,"  tirsl  tlesionatin^^  a  postal  station,  and  afterwards  successively  the 
villaj;c  ami  town.  In  iSK)  the  llonourable  William  Dickson  |)ur(  based  the  township, 
which   he   nameil    l)umlries  alter  his   native  town  in    Scotland.      lie  committetl   the  practi- 


76  OUR  PICTURESQUE 

cal  details  of  colonizing  this  unbroken  forest  to  Absalom  Shade,  a  young  Buffalonian, 
by  trade  a  carpenter,  and  by  natural  capabilities  anything  else  that  may  be  needed. 
Shade's  sagacity  is  sufficiently  evinced  in  the  site  that  he  chose  for  the  future  town 
The  material  advantages  in  water-power  were  obvious ;  let  us  hope  that  he  was  not 
uninfluenced  by  the  glorious  scenery  which  Mr.  Young,  the  Historian  of  Gait,  restores 
for  us  in  a  few  vivid  sentences :  "  As  Mr.  Shade  surveyed  the  scene  stretched  out 
before  him  during  that  July  afternoon  in  1816,  it  must  have  appeared  infinitely  grander 
than  at  the  present  time.  The  gently  sloping  oval-shaped  valley  at  his  feet,  the  waters 
of  the  Grand  River  passing — like  a  broad  band  of  silver — straight  through  its  centre, 
the  graceful  hills  encircling  around,  and  the  luxuriant  profusion  of  summer  foliage 
rising  from  the  centre,  tier  above  tier,  until  the  highest  jieaks  of  the  sombre  pines  were 
reached — these  peculiarities  of  the  landscape,  so  suggestive  of  a  vast  natural  amphi- 
theatre, must  have  matle  up  a  striking  and  beautiful  picture.  It  must  have  looked  like 
an  immense  Coliseum  in  leaves!"  At  Mr.  Dickson's  request  the  Pest  Office  of  the  new 
settlement  was  named  "Gait"  after  his  early  friend  and  his  school-mate  in  Hdinburgli ; 
but  for  eleven  years  the  settlers  called  their  village  "Shade's  Mills."  The  genial 
novelist  visited  the  place  in  1S27,  and  henceforward  village  as  well  as  Post  Office  bore 
his  name.  On  the  occasion  of  this  very  visit,  was  not  Cialt  making  thumb-nail  sketches 
of  Shade  and  others  to  be  afterwards  dt;veloped  in  his  novel  "  Lawrie  Todd"?  We 
throw  out  the  suggestion  for  the  benefit  of  (ia//ojiiaiis, — readers  of  Gait  as  well  as 
residents  of   Cialt. 

The  town  is  now  a  prosperous  centre  of  industry.  There  are  large  llouring  mills 
driven  by  the  fall  of  the  river,  and  numerous  machine-shops,  factories  and  foundries 
driven  by  steam.  The  raw  materials  that  feed  these  busy  hives  are  wood,  iron,  wool 
and  leather,  (ialt  has  won  its  way  through  some  severe  ordeals.  In  July,  iS;,4,  tin; 
cholera,  introduced  by  a  travelling  menagerie,  swept  away  in  four  days  nearly  a  I'lftii  of 
the  population,  and  followed  out  to  their  farms  in  the  \icinity  many  of  the  rural  sight- 
seers. The  violence  of  the  plague  was  so  great  tliat  robust  men  died  in  some  cases 
within  an  hour  of  seizure.  In  1S51  and  again  in  1856  the  t(jwn  suffered  appalling 
losses  from  fire;  but  indomitable  courage  "out  of  this  nettle  danger  plucked  this 
fiower  safety."  The  fires  found  Gait  built  of  wood,  and  left  it  built  of  limi-stonc  anil 
granite.  The  most  recent  architectural  triumph  is  the  I'resbyterian  Church  that 
morning  and  evening  casts  upon  the  Cirand  River  the  shadow  of  its  lofty  anil  grace- 
ful spire. 

Guelph  enjoys  the  triple  honour  of  having  a  Royal  name,  a  literary  paren- 
tage, and  a  distinguished  historian.  Mr.  Gait  tells  us  how,  after  maj)ping  out  a 
block  of  more  than  40,000  acres  of  the  choicest  land  in  the  Company's  broad  do* 
main,  he  had  '. 'e  rich  woodlands  and  river  banks  explored,  and  that  by  a  gratifying 
consensus    of    reports  the  present    site    of    (iuelph    was    selected.      In    order    to   give    the 


occasion  diiu  importaiUf  and  solemnity,  St.  Gcorj^fe's  I  )a\'  (April  -Ji'tl, )  1S27,  was 
sclccl(.:(l  for  the  inauguration.  \\'(r  cannot  do  better  than  let  the  lounder  himself 
(l(!scril)e    it  :— 

".\l)out  sunset,  (lri|;|)inj^-  wet,  we  arrive  1  near  the  spot  we  were  in  cpi'st  of,  a 
shanty,  which  an  liulian,  who  had  committed  murder,  had  raised  as  a  refuj^e  for 
himself. 

"We  found  the  men,  under  the  orders  of  Mr.  Prior,  whom  1  had  employed 
for  iht;  Compan\',  kindlins;  a  roaring  lire,  and  after  endeavourini;  to  eiry  ourselves, 
and  havint^  recourse  to  the  store  i)asket,  I  proposed  to  s^o  to  the  spot  chosen  for  the 
t()\,n.  H\'  lliis  time  tlu'  sun  was  set,  and  l)r.  Duidop,  with  his  characteristic  tlroller\'. 
haxin^  doffed  his  wet  L;arl),  and  dressetl  himself  Indian  fashion  in  iilankets,  we  pro- 
ci;eded   with    .Mr.    Prior,   attended   hy  two   woodsmen   with   their  a.\(;s. 

"  It  was  consistent  with  my  plan  to  invest  our  ceremon\-  with  a  little  mystery, 
the  better  to  make  it  remeniberetl.  .So  intimating-  that  tlu;  main  body  of  the  men 
were  not  to  come,  w(;  walkt-tl  to  the  brow  of  the  neit^dibourini^  risini,^  ground,  and 
Mr.  Prior  havinj;  shown  the  site  selected  for  the  town,  a  lart^e  maple  tree  was 
chosen  ;  on  which,  takins;  an  a.\(;  from  one  of  the  woodmen  I  struck  iIk;  first 
stroke.  To  me  at  least  the  moment  was  impressive,  -aiul  the  silence  of  tlu;  wood 
that  echoed  to  the  sound,  was  as  the  sigh  of  the  solemn  genius  of  the  wildern(.;ss 
departing    for    ever. 

"  The  doctor  followed  me — then,  if  I  recollect  rightly,  Mr.  Prior — and  the  wood- 
men finished  the  work.  The  tree  fell  with  a  crash  of  accumulating  thuiuler.  as  if 
ancient  nature  were  alarmed  at  the  entrance  of  man  into  her  innocent  solitudes 
with    his    sorrows,    his    follies,    and    his    crimes. 

"  1  ilo  not  suppose  that  the  sublimity  of  the  occasion  was  unfelt  by  the  others, 
lor  I  noticed  that  after  the  tree  fell  there  was  a  funereal  pause,  as  when  the 
colihn  is  lowered  into  the  grave  ;  it  was,  however,  of  short  duration,  for  the  tloctor 
pulled  a  tlask  of  whiskej  from  his  bosom,  and  we  drank  prosperity  to  the  City  of 
Guelph. 

"  The  name  was  chosen  in  compliment  to  the  Royal  Family,  both  because  I 
thought  it  auspicious  in  itself,  and  because  I  could  not  recollect  that  it  had  ever 
before    been    used    in    all    the    King's    dominion.s." 

The  success  predicted  for  the  new  settlement  by  its  founder  was  already  more 
than  half  won  by  the  very  site  he  had  chosen.  From  its  throne  on  tht;  hills  the  "  Royal 
City  "  would  command  one  of  the  choicest  of  agricultural  realms — a  succession  of  allu- 
vial bottoms,  pastoral  streams,  aiul  fruitful  hill-sides.  Water-power  came  rushing  and 
bounding  down  the  heights,  neighing  for  its  master  like  a  high-mettled  charger,  eager 
to  champ  the  forest  trees  into  lumber  and  the  golden  grain  into  ft)am\'  tlour.  The 
rolling  landscape  early  suggested  pastoral   farming.      The  way   thither  was  well  led  more 


7^ 


or  A'   riCI  L  RliSOL  I- 


than  half  a  century  ai^o  I)\'  Rowland  Wini^llcld,  a  ynnn^;;  i^-cntlcinan  from  Gloucester- 
shire, who  slocked  his  hill-r^ides  with  Southdown  and  Leicester  sheep,  l)esidc;s  importing 
shorldiorn  cattle  and  Herkshir(!  hoi;s.  Mr.  A.  1).  [•"erri(M-,  in  his  ••  Re-miniscences,"  recalls 
the  landin;^  oi  this  choice  stock  at  (jiiehec,  and  the  sensation  lln-re  produced.  It 
was  an  "  ohject  lesson,"  not  onl\-  lor  the  luihita)is,  hut  for  the  ix-st  of  our  Western  far- 
mers. The  lirst  (iuelph  lairs  exhiiiiied  not  the  i^lossy  fat  l)c;eves  arul  the  L;runtin_v( 
pork-harrels  of  lo-d;iy,  hut  oft(Mi  the  most  shadowy  of  kine  and  the  most  saurian  of 
"  allij.;ators."  li.\periment.d  farming;  took  early  ami  dee))  root  in  this  district,  enriching 
by   its   results   not  alone  tlu;  district,  hut   the  iMitire    !'ro\ince.  * 

These  valuahli.'  experiments  receixcd  olVicial  r(,'coL;niti(Mi  in  iSj^^,  wIkmi  the  Provin- 
cial Collej^c  of  Agriculture  and  i'lxperimenial  I'arin  was  located  about  a  mile  south  of 
(jut'lph,  on  a  tract  of  550  acres,  which  had  prexiously  formed  the  stock  farm  oi  Mr.  I'". 
W.  Stone.  The  old  farin-hous(;  has  rapidly  j^^rown  into  an  extensive  pile  of  build- 
inyjs,  including',  besides 
quarters  for  a  hundreil 
and      fortv      students,      a  "^.-,^'-^'^i      i-;^V^sr>'I:/..iiiFJ. 


K.MI.KO.M)  HKUxa:,    I'ARIS 


fjood  library,  a 
museum,  lecture- 
rooms,      laborato- 


■^^v 


rK;s  and  conserva- 
tories.       The    desij^Mi     of     this    admirabh;     inst    iition     is     to    apply    to     agriculture     the 
principles,  the  methods,  and  the  discoveries  of  modern  scientific  research. 


I 


.\( Vv' rin-.Rx  Miu.inh )i<. 


79 


Ni:\v    rki-suvii-.KiAN    riiuKcii,    hai.i 


Cialt's    historical    tree    hccainc    tlic    radiant 
|)niiit    tor    the     future    cit\-.        ( )u     the     massive 

stuinp  was  forthwith  phmtcd  a  c-ompass-staff,  and  the  Surveyor,  Jaiiics  McDonald,  pro- 
claimed ///(f/  to  ije  the  centi'e  of  the  nt'w  settlement.  After,  howi'\-er,  this  solemn  word 
had  passed,  souk;  scf))"!^!!^'  by-stander  spoke  uj)  and  said,  that  now,  for  onct.',  the  centre 
of  a  circh'  would  lie  on  its  circumfen'nce,  because  the  sur\c\or  was  tluMi  on  the  verv 
etlLj^e  of  the  town-plot!  I  )r.  I)unlop,  the  witty  and  eccentric  suri^eon  f)f  tlu-  Canada 
Companv,  was  earl\-  afield  when  an\'  project  was  started  that  im|)li<'d  either  hone-setting 
or  the  s|)illinL;;  of  wine.  I  )unloi)  prom()tly  r-duced  the  surveyor's  dislocatio)t  b\-  e.xplain- 
uii;"  that  the  streets  were  to  be  disposed  like  the  rib.s  of  a  lady's  fan,  and  were  to 
radiate  from  dall's  tree  as  their  centre.  The  scoffer  was  mute;  lik(!  tlu;  web  of  an 
uns,;(;()nu;trical  spider,  the  plan  of  ("luelph  was  woven;  and  so  it  remains.  Ihe  scene  of 
thes(.'  eventfid  sa\in<rs  and  doiiiLTs  mav  be  visittnl  b\  the  curious  traveller  who  is  waitiiv 
for  his  train  at  the  Grand  Trunk  Station.  Walkiii!.,^  beyontl  the  east  end  of  the  plat- 
form  to  the  threshold  of  tiie  ir(jn   viaduct,  he  will  see  in   the  massive  stone  aljutment  on 


8o  01  R  ricn  Riisoi  !•: 

till-'  ciIl;!'  of  the  Speed  an  iiiulesij^Mied  memorial  occMipyini,^  the  site  where  (ialt's  ma|)Ie 
lifted  its  majestic  dome  ol  leaves.  The  deep-rooted  hase  of  the  tree  loiij.;  remained 
undistiirhed  and  was  nivered  as  a  kind  of  lit(M-ar\  hecpuist.  It  bore  a  large  sun-dial, 
which  for  man\'  years  served  Ciuelph  as  its  town  clock,  and  in  tiie  lleetinj^j  shadows 
cast    hy   the  j^aiint   tuiirer  the   rustic   moralist   found   man)'  a  similitude  of  human   life. 

A  memorial  of  the  con\ivial  tlays  of  John  (ialt  and  Dr.  Dunlop  still  survives  in 
the  "  I'riory," — an  elm-loij;  structure,  not  iledicated  to  ri-lij^dous  uses,  hut  named  in  pun- 
nine;  commemoration  of  .Mr.  Prior,  the  Canaila  Company's  jitrent.  In  a  letter  dated 
••The  Priory,  Guelph.  U.  Canada,  5th  October,  1S2S,"  Cialt  tells  his  fricMul  "Delta," 
••  ()ur  house,  it  is  true,  is  hut  a  loi;  one,  llie  first  that  was  erected  in  the 
town  ;  hut  it  is  not  without  some  pretensions  to  elej^ance.  It  has  a  rustic  portico 
formeil  with  the  trunks  of  tre(;s,  in  which  the  constituent  parts  of  the  Ionic 
(  )rder  are  really  somewhat  intellij^ihiy  displa\cd.  In  the  interior  we  have  a  handsome 
suite  ol  rooms,  a  librar)-,  etc."  The  Prior\,  thouL;h  framed  of  loi^s  is  said  to  have 
<-ost  lietween  /,'i,ooo  and  £2,000  sterling-,  such  was  the  cost  of  imported  materials,  and  such 
at  lirsl  were  the  (^\treme  ditticulties  of  transport.  An  ambitious  market-house  formed 
the  focus  or  hearth  of  the  \<)uni^r  city,  and  in  approv(nl  anticpu-  style  tlu>  Civic  Penates 
were  honored  with  a  public  feast  and  libations.  A  threat  dinner  was  had,  ami  the  attend- 
■  ince  secured  of  all  majj^nates  Gait  could  lay  hands  o\\.  .Souie  glimpses  of  the  occasion, 
as  through  a  door  ajar,  are  affordetl  by  y\j4'nes  Strickland  in  the  volumes  of  her  father's 
recollections.  ( )f  the  i^uests.  Ca|)tain  John  Hr.uit.  the  son  and  successor  of  the  great 
Thayendanegea,  madt;  the  greatest  impression  on  Colonel  .Strickland,  lie  notes  with 
.idmiration  tlu;  grand  physicpie,  the  dignitied  bearing,  antl  the  pithy  eloquence  of  the 
Mohawk   Chieftain. 

P'or  the  "long,  (|uiet,  winter  nights"  at  the  Prior)',  (ialt  had  plotted  out  much 
literarv  work.  1).  A.  Moir, — the  gentle  "Delta"  of  Blachiunnis  Mai^azitu\ — wa&  his 
<)wii  l)roth(.'r  in  literature  :  ami  ten  years  later  would  b(!Come  his  biographer  ami  literary 
executor.  Writing  from  (iuelph,  in  1S2S,  he  tells  I)(;lta  that  his  mind  is  then  engaged 
on  a  byochiirc  descriptive  of  Canada,  and  on  "another  volume  for  IJlackwood."  The 
("iU(!lph  settlement  was  filling  up  with  unexampleil  ra[)idity,  for  the  Superintendent's 
energ)'  provided  roads  and  bridges  through  what  had  been  an  unbroken  wilderness. 
The  settlers  elsewhere  began  to  contrast  in  most  pointed  comparisons  the  apathy  of 
the  Provincial  (jovernment  in  not  opening  up  for  them  proper  means  of  transit.  As 
(ialt  sal  in  his  library,  gazing  dreamih'  into  \\\v.  great  back-log  fire,  and  building  out  of 
the  glowing  embers  towering  projects,  commercial  as  well  as  literary,  he  was  roused  with 
a  shud<ler  from  his  reverie  i)\'  the  dismal  baying  of  a  wolf-pack  that  swept  past  through 
the  winter  forest  in  close  pursuit  of  a  deer;  could  he  but  he.ir  them,  there  were  already 
afoot  and  in  loud  cr\'  after  him  enmities  and  jealousies  to  the;  full  as  raveiious  and  re- 
morseless.      Almost   since   his    arrival    in    Canada,   Cialt    had  been  pursued  by  a  politico- 


.\(V\' ////;•  A'.\'   Min.llliOK 


8i 


ON      rili:      KlVl.R     Sl'KKU. 


and,  inlliHiucd  ihc  ("om- 
)aii\'s  nircctors  through 
Downiii;,;-  Street.  I'rom 
the  iliisty  despatches  in 
the  Colonial  Office,  may 
he  L^leaiied  that  (ialt 
luul  accepted  from  Lyon 
MacKenzie  a   file  of  the 


8a  o(  /<  I'icn  i<i:soLi-: 

Coloiiiiil  .Itivpcixlc :  it  was  ('\cii  piihlicly  statcil,  and  without  anv  pretence  of  mntra- 
(lictinii,  that  he  liail  shaken  hiiids  witii  MacKt-n/ic  !  Ilic  ////rr,i/riir  was  apt  to  spend 
his  cvcniiij^rs  in  i  oninmnioii  with  iiooks  :  so  he  was  "  cm  hisive,"  and  "plaxiiii^  i'tt/^/iiiii 
liviDui!'  Mishop  Macdomil  was  soMitlini<s  at  thv  I'liory  :  (iah  must  hi-  hrlpini;  liis 
Catliolic  friend  in  sonn'  (hvsii^n  on  liic  CK-i-i^y  Kcscr\('s.  (i;dt  will  have  to  \n-  kept 
nndcr  ol)s<'r\  ation,  shadowed  hy  some  pai'asiic  of  some  |)ci"s()nal  enemv ;  after  due 
distortion,  his  saxin^s  and  doinj^s  must  lie  secret!)  jonrnali/ed  and  then  cirried  to 
private  ai'connts  kept  with  ceilain  notal)ilities.  This  scheme  of  "  tinani  iai  control" 
(|e\-eloped  itsell  preinalurtdx.  At  a  hint  of  anthori/cd  espionas^n-  froni  the  ttiiihra  itself, 
anil  the  use  ol  till-  phrase  "  coorchnate  )in'isdiction,"  (iait  hroke  out  \  chementU',  lie 
had  concei\ed  and  created  the  ("an.ida  Company  ;  he  woidd  l;(>  to  I'.nnland  and  ask 
th(!  Court  of  l)irectors  wh.it  all  this  meant?  "  ComiiiL;  events  cast  then*  shadows 
before":  the  loiihia,  with  its  diary  and  ledger,  reached  I{nL;land  liefore  him.  Mveii  at 
tlie  drnmdii-ad  inveslii^ation  which  ensued,  the  Superintendent  triumphantU-  vindicated 
his  management;  hut  what  of  that?  lie  foimd  that  his  ^ra\c  hail  hc'ii  iIul,^  Infore  the 
court-martial  had  l>ei_;un  I  llis  connection  with  the  Canada  Cf)mpany  was  ended;  hut  h<' 
lived  to  set  up  in  the  pillor\'  of  everlasiiuL;  scorn  and  dei'ision  all  concerned  in  this 
intrii^iie.  While  taking  his  last  Inok  at  (luelph,  for  which  he  had  loded  and  suffered 
much,  then;  was  a  |)athelii;  farc'Well  in  front  ol  the  Priory.  .\  huiulred  and  forty-four 
families  had  within  eiL;hteen  mouths  set  up  houses  on  the  town-plot,  ami  now  with  tears 
starting;  in  their  e\es  they  came  to  his  door  to  tell  (ialt  how  deeply  the\'  felt  his  efforts 
to  raise  them  from  dependent  circumstances  to  comparati\e  independence.  They  added 
an  earnest  hope  that  he  woidd  speedily  reliu-n  to  them.  Hut  his  work  here;  was  done, 
and  he  had  amply  earneil  tin;  m'atitiKle  of  Canadians.  In  crealiuL;  the  towns  of  Ciiielph 
and  Cioderich  am!  the  interveninj.^  se\enty-ti\e  miles  of  broad  hi>.(hway  he  left  to  rpp(*r 
Canada  an  enduring;  memorial  of  his  three  years'  residence.  Anil  in  "  l.awrie  I'odd," 
where;  he  uses  his  exploration  of  the  ("irand  River  as  well  as  other  scenes  trom  his 
Canadian  portfolio,  he  has  left  us  a  charmim;  literar\'  sonvtMiir.  In  these  latter  days  of 
vast  land  corporations  it  is  well  to  recall  the  histor\'  of  our  lirst  threat  laiul  ciunpany  ; 
to  learn  how  much  a  humane  manager  was  able  to  accomplish  for  his  shareholders, 
while  actively  promotiiiL^    the  comfort   and   welfare  of  the  settlers. 

The  knoll  that  (iah  bestowed  upon  the  Anij^lican  Church  had  alread\'  disappeared 
before;  his  death.  The  site  is  now  occu|)ieil  bv  St.  Cieori^fe's  Sipiart;  and  the  Post  Ottice. 
The  Presbyterian  knoll  was  levelled  c'.own  to  form  a  site  for  tlu;  present  Market 
House.  The  "Catholic  IIill"  still  survives  to  illnstrat(;  Gait's  .  I  N/o/>ioorrii/>/iy,  wmX  as 
we  approach  the  hill  throu^^di  "  Macdomll  "  Street,  we  are  reminded  of  one  of  the 
novelist's  friends  who  remained  constant  while  so  man\'  others  proved  faithless  and 
treacherous.  Where  Gait  ailmirini,dv  ilescrib(;il  (iothic  aisl(;s  of  oxerarchinL,^  elms,  now 
stand  broad  streets — "  Wyndham  "  Street  ami  the  rest,     tl. inked   by  solid  structures  of  the 


.\7)A'////:A'.\'    Mih.linOR 


«;> 


(■n-ainy-wliilc  niaj^iU'sian   liincstonr  for  whicli  (iuclpli  is  fatuous 


1  liis  a(liniral)li'  iiiatirial 
is  found  alHMul.uiily 
on      Waterloo      .\\- 

rnur,     uilllout     K\v\\ 

raviuL;  ill''  I  il\'s 
liniils.  ( )nc  of  the 
oldci"  hoti'ls  is  point- 
id     out     as     ii;i\  \\v^ 

)ccn  l)uilt  of  the 
stone  (|uarrieil  from 
Its  own  (  ellar.  When 

M'st  t.iken  out  this 
<loloinite  is  soft, 
and  in  color  iiu  lines 
to  liulf  ;   hut    on   cx- 

losure  Id  tile  air 
It  h  a  r  (1  e  n  s  and 
u  hiteiis. 

le      i^coM'i^ii  al 


lSI.!-r     KO'K,      I'AI.I.S     n|-     II.OUA 


■ ;  sf^.. 


character    of     this    district     is    interestiuL;,    all    the    more    because  appareiitlv   no  example 
of  the   formation    occtu's    elsewhere.       Reposintr    cin    the    Niai:^ara    I'ormation   an;  a   ii^M'oup 


84 


Or/<    I'lCl  LRHSQLli 


of  stratiliccl  rocks,  wliich  make  altogether  a  thickness  of  about  a  hiiii(h*eil  and  sixty 
fc'-t.  They  form  a  Icnticiihir  mass  r.-aching  in  fxtreme  breadlii  about  tiiirty-tive  miles, 
th;nnins4^  out  in  one  ilirection  towards  the  Niai^ara  River,  and  restinj^  the  other  edjj^e 
on  the  (ireat  Manitoulin.  The  strata  are  stron^K-  ilevelopiul  at  (iait  and  (iuelj)!!,  and 
a  number  of  characteristic  fossils  take  their  specitic  nanu's  from  this  circumstance.  Sir 
William  Lo<^an  bestoueil  on  this  special  Ontario  seri(!s  the  name  of  the  "(luelph  I'or- 
mation."  The  ("ieolo<;y  and  Natural  llistor\  of  the  District  may  be  be  very  coiniMii- 
(mu1\-  studii'd  in  tile  Museum  at  Mlora,  and  referenct;  books  can  be  consulted  at  the 
Librar\.  Ww.  Museum  was  formed  b\'  the  disinteri-stetl  labours  of  Mr.  I  )a\  id  !{o\le, 
and  has  contriI)Uted  to  I'akeontolo^x  ti'teen  new  speci«'S  nl  fossils,  which  have  since 
been  named,  described,  \\x\i\  lij^ured  b\'  Prolessor  Nicliolson  in  his  Report  to  the 
l'ro\  incial  ( loNcrnment  on  the  PakeonloloL^y  of  Ontario.  ( )l  these  new  species  two 
of  the  most  graceful  were  named  after  ent.iusiaslic  local  anlicpiaries :  M iirdiisoiiia 
Ju>v/i/\  after  Mr.  I)o\Ie;  and  M  iii  chisoiiia  C7(irk(/\  after  the  I  lonourablc  Mr.  .Speaker 
Chirke,  who  has  ilone  so  much  to  preserve;  the  |)ioneer  annals  ol  ilic  District,  and  to 
interest   the   public   in    its  scenery, 

I'lic  (lUelph  bOrmatioii  makes  main'  notable  contrii)utions  to  the  scenerv  of 
Western  Ontario  -the  ^lens,  s^-or^es,  cascades  of  tlu;  (irand  River  b.isin.  the  piclur- 
escpie  disorder  of  the  Sau^ceii  X'alU'y,  the  romantic  windings  ol  the  .\u.\  Sables,  -but 
there  is  nowhere  |)roduced  an  effect  more  charmiiiL;  than  the  Meetinjr  of  th(!  W.iters  ;it 
Elora.  Here,  walls  of  dolomite,  in  some  places  eii^ht)'  feet  hioh, --rise  sheer  from  the 
water,  or  so  overhaiiL^,  th.il,  lookiii;.^  uj)  from  bel.^w,  we  recall,  with  a  shudder,  Shelley's 
vi\id   picture   in    ///<•   L\tui:  — 

"  Tliere    is    a    niif^lily    rnck 
Whicli    Ikis    lioin    unima^iiiahlf    years 
Susliiiietl    itst'if  will)   terror    and    witli    toil 
Over   a   mill',    and   with    the   aj;ony 
With    which    it    chnt^s,   seems  slowly   coniinj;   down  ; 
i;\(Mi    as   a   wrctciied   soul,    hour   after   hour. 
Chutes   to    till!    mass   of  life,    yet    clinj;iiig,    le.iiis, 
.And    le.uiini;,    makes   more    dark    the    dread    abyss 
In    wliich    it    tears   to    tail." 


The  vilhiLre  at  the  rotnantic  I'". ills  of  the  (irand  River  is  tio  more  than  tift\'  \ears 
old  ;  but  liulian  tribes,  titne  out  of  tnind,  made  this  pl.ice  their  f;nouiite  enc.i,  iptnent. 
To  enilless  fishititi^  and  deer-stalkitiL;- was  .idtled  that  natural  IxsiutN,  th.it  deliLjhtfiil  latul- 
scape  which,  as  his  leL;(  nds  prove,  the  Indian  e'ijo\'etl  with  the  keene.t  zest.  .All 
"iroiijLjh  the  rtiilest  legends  of  the  wii^Mvam,  tliere  are  Vvoxcii  eiich  ittlin^  i)ictures  of  the 
Happy   Hunting  (irounds,     their  tlclicious  vertlure,   and  their  brilliant   llowers;    the  song 


.\vvv'/7//:/v'.\'  xi:i(;inhv< 


8^ 


of  hirds  ;  the  deer  l)()iin(ling  throiiL;h  llic  rich  wooillands  ;  the  siimn  lorcst  i^hulcs ;  the 
(•(Mil  river  overshadowed  hy  hifty  tn-es,  and  ripplcjd  hy  eountless  hsh  ;  the  merry 
laughter  of  the'  waterfall.  As  I'llora  now  hears  the  name  of  the  xcstihiile  that  leil  to 
liic  Paradise  of  tlie  lar  distant  India,  so  our  hither  IncUans  rejj^ardcd  this  lovel)' spot  as 
no  unwortln  portal  to  the  l'd\siuin  of  their  dreams  and  hopes.  |ust  such  a  summer 
landscape  as  we  ha\e  here  must  ha\c  deepU  in^  sed  Milton  in  his  younger  da)s,  and 
kiiulled  his  fancy  when  alterwards  out  ol  the  darivncss  lu:  pictureil  n\v.  ol  the  scc'iies  in 
h.den:- 

I'mljiMKeous   ^Tots   and    caves 
Ot  cool    ri'ccss,    o'er    wliiih    llic    iiiaiuliiij;    vine 
L.iV'    liiilh    luT   purple   ;^i:ipc,    mil    ^tnllv    creeps 
LuMiriaiit  ;    nu  iiiwliilc    nmnnuriiii;    w.ilcrs    I. ill 
Down    the   slope    lillls,    disper^l  ;    or    in    .1    Like, — 
I'll, It   til    llie    Inii^rd    hank    uilli    niyrlle    crowned 
Iler    crvsl.  1    nnrroi    holds,  -unite    their    streams. 


At  'l"'lora,  we  are  in  tiu;  \-ery  heart  and  stronL,diol(l  of  the  old  Attiwandaronk  Land — 
the  realm  of  that  |iowerful  Xeiitral  Nation,  which  L,dimmers  throiii^h  Champlain's  narra- 
tive of  i6i5-<),  flashes  out,  ten  years  later,  \w  the  letttM- of  the  friar  Daillon,  steadily  j;lares 
with  a  haleful  lii^ht  through  th(^  lesuit  l\clalio)is,  and  then,  with  appalling;  suddenness, 
is  for  e\cr  e.xliiiL^uished  hy  the  Iroquois  invasions  of  1650-1.  liie  Ntnitrals  formed  the 
earliest  historical  inhahitants  of  the  tlistricl  \\v.  are  now  illustratinij^.  At  the  dawn  of  our 
annals  they  were  in  possession  of  the  whole  central  and  southern  portions  of  the  ^reat 
Peninsula  of  Western  ()ntario;  and  thus  la\'  inter[)oseil  between  their  dialectic  cousins 
— the  llurons  of  (leoroian  Hay —and  .inotlu;r  related  race,  the  Inxpiois,  of  New  ^'ork 
.Slate.  Though  of  kindred  race,  the  llurons  and  the  Irixpiois  had  lon;^  been  at  deadK' 
f<'ud  ;  l)\  ;i  remarkable  compact,  howtn'er,  as  loiii^'  as  the\'  wert*  within  the  bounds  of  the 
Neutrals,  they  were  to  meet  .ind  for  ver\'  man\'  ye.irs  did  meet  —on  terms  of  a])parent 
amilN',  oft(  n  sharine;-  not  onl\'  the  same  wii^wams,  but  the  same  meals.  The  Ntnitrals 
thus  held  the  balance  of  ])ower,  and  thev  w(  re  strong'  enough  to  enforce  this  siin^nilar 
armistice  throughout  the  whole  of  their  wide  dom.iin.  Thev'  controlled  both  sides  of  the 
NiaLjara  Kixcr,  Lake  ()ntario  as  far  as  Purlin^ton  Hay,  and  the  whole  Canadian  shore 
of  Lake  I'a'ie  ;  while  their  inland  jurisdiction,  as  ah'eady  saitl,  covered  the  central  and 
southern  tracts  of  thi'  Peninsula.  In  1626,  this  \vid(^  realm  was  governed  b)-  tl;e  iLjreat 
chief  Soidiarissen,  whose  authority  was  imchalleni^-ed  throui^hout  the  twenly-ei_i;ht  consider- 
able villan-es  and  towns  thai  tlien  piclures(|uely  dotted  the  land.  Such  a  unit\-  of  com- 
mand anion^  the  Indians  was  almost  without  precedent  ;  but  so  was  this  chieftain's  prow- 
ess. Me  had  made  successful  war  on  seventeen  hostile  tribes,  and  had  always  rt^tin'ned  with 
droves  of  captives,  or  heaps  of  <,diastly  tro|)hies.  In  one  of  these  forays  he  leil  his  lierce 
warriors  from   the  banks  of    the  Grand    River   and   the  Thames  to  the    farther  shore    t)f 


86  ^vA'  men  i<iisij(  !■: 

Lake  Michigan,  stormed  a  larq-e  fortified  town  of  Fire  Indians,  cxtcrniinatcd  the  d<'fcn- 
dcrs.  and  drove  the  rest  of  the  Nation  beyond  the  Lake  and  into  the  \er\  heart  df 
Wisconsin.  Souharis.sen  could  at  a  day's  notice  put  on  tlic  war-path  scxcral  tlioiisand 
men-at-anns. 

Their  weapons  wcri'  the  war-chil).  tlic  jaNrlin,  and  the  liow-and-arrow  :  luit  the 
warriors  that  i)or('  liimi  were  ol  cxtraiirdinarv  si/c.  strength,  .md  actixitx'.  Chaniphiin. 
duriiii^  his  three  inoiulis'  sta_\  aiiiDnt;  the  lliirons.  in  the  winter  i>f  1015  (>,  i^a/ed  wist- 
full\'  towards  this  reahii  of  th(;  Neutrals,  which  was  still,  as  regarded  I'.nropean  posses- 
siiiii.  \(i-inan's  L.md.  I5ut  the  ilnrons  nrL^cd  the  L^real  danger  nl  the  cxjiloration. 
and  lht>U|^h  accompanied  1)\  a  I'rench  tone  armed  to  the  icetli,  C  hamplain's  stout 
heart  here  lailed  him.  i  he  honours  ot  the  enterprise  were  resei\cd  lor  I  )aillon,  a 
Kecollei   or   I'ranciscan    i'riar. 

In  i6:!()  i)aillon.  with  two  other  !■  reiichmi-n.  hoKlK'  enlei-ed  tln'  realm  of  the  terri- 
ble .'"iouharissen.  1  he  Iri.n's  sole  armament  w.is  the  pack  on  his  back.  ,ind  a  stall  in  his 
hand.  This  perilous  enterprise,  iu  the  land  ol  giants,  recalls  the  aiKcntin'e  of 
Christian  and  liopeful  in  the  I  )einesn<'  ol  (liant  I  )espair.  Ihil  our  (  )ntario  pilerini  was 
ruileU'  disciplined  two  \<'ars  belore  |ohn  IWniNan  was  born.  an<l  lilty  yars  before  the 
vision  of  houbtiu:^  L'astle  was  written.  After  the  hrsi  reception,  which  was  frieixlK 
be\(»nd  his  hopes.  I  ),nlIon  seiu  iiack  his  two  companions;  and  now.  all  alone,  this  in- 
trepid fri.ir  tra\('rs('d  the  I'eidnsula  from  oiH'  end  to  the  other.  (.Oura^c  was  the 
qualit\-  above  all  others  that  those  wild  warriors  admin'd  ;  the  d.irin^  of  a  man  who. 
unarmed  wwA  unattended,  strode  learlessly  throm;h  their  xilla^^es  and  into  lh(;ir  wigwams, 
astounded  .uiil  oxcrawcd  them.  I  hen  came  .1  dangerous  reaction!  "This  pale-lace  must 
!)(•  a  sorc<rer  !  In  lact.  our  cousins,  the  llurons.  sa\'  so.  and  the  lluroiis  are  rather 
knowiuL;  t''llows."  A\e.  moi'e  knowing  than  disinterested  I  I  he  llurons  were  just 
then  diiviu'^  a  prohl.ible  fur  trade  with  the  I  rench  :  mau\  ol  the  peltries  cune  Irom 
the  beaver-meadow  s  on  the('irand  I\i\er  and  the  I'hames.  the  Neutrals  ^ctline  ,||1  the 
toil  of  the  (  has(  ,  the  llurons  .i^ellie;.^  all  the  ad\  anta^cs  oi  the  direct  c(unmerce  with 
the    I'rench. 

I  he  lliu'on  I'Uiiss.iries  told  their  credulous  iieiL^hbours  th.it  this  L;reat  magician 
''had  in  their  (nuntrv  breathed  a  pestilence  into  the  air;  th.it  m.in\  had  died  froin  his 
poisonous  :irts  ;  thai  presently  the  Neutrals  would  see  all  theii"  ■hildren  dead  and  all 
their  \  aliases  in  llames  ;  that  these  licnch  folk  were  unnatiu-ai  in  their  <Iiet.  which 
i-oiisisted  of  pois(ui.  serpents.  a\e,  and  iinhlniuL^.  fm-  these  Irenchmen  nunich  <\cn  the 
thunder-L^rillon."  When,  by  these  delirious  stories,  the  imaijinatior.  of  the  Neutrals  h.id 
been  it'\ered.  the  (rally  llurous  threw  in  some  ,id\ice.  They  ant icip.itc  <l  the  gentle 
counsel  ol  (liant  I  )espair's  w  ife,  I  )illidence.  "(lubilu'  pilgrim."  liut  no  "  L;rie\()us  crab- 
tree  cudi^cl '■  was  needed  to  nmiforce  tin;  biMwn  of  these  Imlian  athletes;  b\  a  sinL,de 
l)low  of  the   list   till'   unfortunate    '<i''collet    was   felled   to   the  i-arth,   ami  altoijcther    he  es- 


I 


\OA'/7//{A'.y    M.ICIinOK 


«7 


capitl  insiant  (l(;ii!i  l>\  a  incff; 
miracle.  C'ontiniKni^  ill-iisaiL;(' 
tollowfd  ;  liiit,  (|n(>lli  the  li-iar, 
••  all  this  is  just  what  uc  look 
lur  in  tlif><-  lands."  Kiiiiark  in 
lliiisc  few  (|uii't  uonls  ihr  sini- 
|ili-.  snMinic  |ihili)s(ii)hy  dI  the 
man  !  W  liati\cr  niir  creed,  we 
instiiu'ti\  i-l\  admire  Mich  heroic 
selt'-sacrilice.  .\  rinnor  ol  tin; 
friar's  diath  h.i\  in^:  reai'lieil  the 
Huron     Mission,     lireheul      sent 


,  ■'•-^?^f^''"lr. 


b... 


A  t- 


Lo\l-,K'S     \\..\\\     l-.l.oK.\, 


w.\rui  K  lUi-.K    i-;ocK,    ik\i.M'.    i;i\'I',r. 

to  the  scene  one  ol  I  )aillon's 
former  t;nides,  who  led  him 
hack  fi^om  this  Irnitless  emliassy. 
I'ourteen  \iars  later  .mother 
effort  was  made  from  the  1  iuron 
Mission  to  t  liristiani/<;  the  Neu- 
trals. This  time  canu?  C'hau- 
monot.  the  |esnit  Missionary, 
and  the  d.iriiiL;  liridjciil  him- 
self, ••  the  .Xjax  of  the  Mission," 
lint  once  more  the  tre.icheroiis 
and  mercenary  llurons  excited 
auainst  the  |)il;.;rims  the  wildest 
fancies  that  e\cr  ran  riot  in  these 
primexal  forests  ;  they  excn  tri<Hi 
to  lirilie  the  su|iersliti()us  Xen- 
Irals  into  assassinalinu  their  licne- 
factors.  lUit,  nndi-terred  hy  in- 
sult and  iU-usaije,  def\in''    fatigue 


8s  r)rA'  rnrrRi-sori' 

ami  cold  and  the  j^fcatcst  personal  danij^crs.  the  heroic  i^vheiif  strode  on  for  four 
months  through  the  winter  forest,  unto  one  village  aft<'r  another.  1  hat  winter  was 
severe  and  prolonj^jed  l)e\-onil  what  was  then  usual,  and  far  liexond  what  wi>  experience, 
but,  in  the  C.rand  River  forest,  as  in  the  I'orest  of  Arden,  it  niii^ht  well  he,  that 
the  sharpest  pain  did  not  arise  from  "the  ic\-  fan-;  and  churlish  chidin^ot  the  winter's 
wind,"  What  causetl  iireheuf  real  anil  hitler  anL;uish  was  the  failure  of  his  einhassx-, 
the  imiu'iiitence  of  this  peoi)le,  their  repeateil  'and  unL^rateiul  rejection  ol  the  Messat^e. 
To  him  mere  ph\sical  suffering'  was  a  spiritual  ecstass  ;  tlu-  deatlliesl  cold  was  hut 
"  the  seasons'  ditlerence.  " 

"  lUow,    blow,    lluiu    wiiilcr    winil; 
'I'lioii  .lit   Mill  sii  unkinil 
.\s   111. Ill's   iiigiMlillidi'. 

*  *  *  *  -i"  *  * 

l''rf(vi',   lit'f/c,   llioii   winter  --ky  ; 
Tliou   (lost   nut    bile   so    iiii;h 
A.s  liunclUs  loiyot." 

As  the  lesuits  were  retracing-  tlu'ir  steps  northwards  throuj^h  the  woods  a  snow- 
storm closed  in  around  them.  The  ilrifts  were  imi)assahle  and  the  scowl  of  the  fierce 
aborigines  was  e\-en  more  forbiddiuL;  than  the  faci-  of  nature.  iWit  in  the  hanlest  ol 
winters,  while  wantleriuL;  through  these  salens,  you  often  come  upon  sw(;el  tinklini;  rills 
that  refusi'  to  be  frozen,  and  hard  by,  >-ou  ma\-  Imd,  jierhaps,  a  mat  ol  \erdure,-- the 
brook-cress,  the  frond  of  tlu'  walkinL;-fi'rn  or  even  the  blossoms  of  some  lin^erinL;-  wild- 
llower.  When  all  himian  pity  was  to  outward  seeming-  coULjealed,  a  woman's  heart  was 
o\erllowin_L;-  with  compassion  for  these  ill-used  men,  and  the  stor\-  of  her  kindness 
forms  a  delij^htfid  oasis  in  a  narratixc-  of  continued  suffering;.  This  noble  dam^hter 
of  the  forest  and  llower  of  womanhood  si)urn(.'d  the  fears,  the  reproaches,  the 
insults  of  her  clan  ;  welcometl  the  pilij^rims  to  her  lodjjje,  set  betore  them  th(> 
best  of  her  store,  obtained  fish  from  the  river  to  enable  them  to  kee]>  then-  tast- 
days,  and  with  this  gentle,  thoughtful  care,  entertainetl  them  tmtil  they  could  re- 
sume their  joiu-ne)-.  Durim;-  this  precious  int<'r\al  the  linguist  ISrebeid  had  mastered 
the  vocai)idar\  of  the  Neutrals,  and  constructed  a  L;riimmar  and  dictionar\  ot  their  dia- 
lect, which  latter,  like  their  ^eoj^raphical  position,  bridi^cd  over  the  interval  between 
the    Hurons  and   the    Iro(|uois. 

it  is  from  the  faded  manuscriiits  .md  the  archaic  breiich  of  these  tirst  explorers 
that  we  must  ^^lean  the  lirst  word-pictures  of  the  romantic  district  \\f  are  now  illus- 
tratini;.  Daillon.  as  we  ha\c  s.iid.  was  lufe  more  than  two  c(;ntin-ies  ami  a  hall  a-;<). 
He  saw  the  landscape  kimlle  into  the  crimson  .md  s^old  of  auttnnn  ami  then  melt 
away  into  the  deliiiotis  languor  and  reverie  of  the  Indian  .Summt'r.  .\fter  IraNcrsins; 
the  heart  of    the    Peninsida,  and    what    woidd    two    huntlred    ami    tifly    years    afterwards 


A OA' '////; A'.v  M-.n;iinoR  sy 

become  tlic  riclu'st  a_Ljricultur;il  district  of  Ontario,  the  worthy  friar  u;lo\vs  with  en- 
thusiasm.—"  I  nromparahly  Ix-aiitiful,"  he  exclaims,  "  incomparaMy  the  most  extensive, 
the  most  l»eautiful,  and  the  most  fruitful  hmd  I  ha\c  yet  exiih)red."  Throui^h  ids  few 
artless  lines  of  description  we  can  see  it  all  :  the  corn-lields  wa\in;j^  their  tassels  in 
the  wind  ;  the  j^olden  litroiiillcs  !,;leaminiL(  Irom  their  leafv  covert  ;  the  l)ea\t'rs  castiiiLj 
up  earth-works;  the  streams  cpiiverim^  with  their  shoals  ol  tish  ;  the  scpnrrels  sciiitlin*;- 
anions;  the  houghs  to  escape  thi'  swooping  luiz/ard  ;  the  wild  turkey  llutterin^'  in  the 
co|>se;  the  countless  deer  and  elks  ^lancint;  throuj^h  the  glades; — altojn^ether,  thought 
the   poor  weary   friar,    such   a    land   as   uiiL;ht   he   rest! id   and   enjo\al)le   to   lin^icr   in. 

Hreheuf  visitinl  the  Neutrals  when  their  countr\'  was  uncler  a  wintr\'  p.ill.  which 
jierhaijs  h(!St  accorded  with  the  sonihre  earnestness  of  his  character.  It  was  his  hahit, 
wherever  possihie,  to  withdraw  lor  his  devotions  to  some  wild  and  lonel\-  L;len,  where 
the  awful  solitude  was  reiuU'red  e\cn  still  more  impressive  l>y  the  solemn  or^an-xoice  of 
the  for(;st.  ,\s  lin'heuf  tra\('rsed  tlu;  Neutral  Land  throuL^h  its  lenj^ah  and  breadth,  and 
twice   sojourned    in   its  \-er\    heart,   Ik;    must   have    heeii   familiar  with    these   wild    ra\  ines. 

rhe\  mii^ht  supply  to  a  recluse  man\'  a  natural  cloister  anti  orator\.  If  we  would  at- 
time  our  minds  to  the;  mood  of  this  ox cr-wrou^ht,  heroic  |esuit,  who  was  now  lieinu;  last 
iiurried  on  towanls  a  most  appallini;  martyrdom, — let  us  visit  the  ^or^c  with  him  in  the 
eerie  twilight  ()f  a  midwinter  evening'.  The  cloud-rack  driftiiiL;  across  the  sk\'  lutokens 
a  wild  ni!_;ht.  I  lu,-  shadows  are  fast  closiniLj  in  around  us,  and  the  imagination  peoples 
these  rock\'  solitudes  with  tlu'  scenes  of  hoxhood.  We  are  no  lon^icr  in  New  I'fance, 
hut  far  awa\'  in  ( )ld  1' ranee,  wwA  in  Hax'eiix,  that  most  ancient  ot  Norman  cities,  where 
Mn'heuf,  niL;h  three  centuries  au,''o,  spent  his  dreamx  hoxhood,  .\s  \\v  skirt  this  fro/en 
moat,  observe  those  massixc  fortress  walls  all  battered  with  war,  wrinkled  with  watch- 
fuliu^ss.  and  hoar\-  with  the  rime  of  ai^es.  We  enter  b\-  the  open  barbican.  (  )\-er- 
han}j;inj4'  the  |)ath  is  a  Norman  watch-lower,  with  loop-hole,  and  parapet,  and  the 
cresset-slock  for  the  bale-tire.  W'e  look  aloil.  ;inil  start  back.  Was  it  fancv,  or  did 
the  warder  on  the  tower  wave  us  awa\'  with  a  wild  gesture.'  I  )id  a  cross-bow  rustle 
at  th<'  loop-hole?  It  was  but  the  ni^hl  wiiul  swaxiiii;  the  shrubs  on  the  crumbling 
ramparts,  a';d  creaking  ihe  wild  grasses  and  sed^^'es  aL;ainsl  the  embrasure.  W'e  ad- 
vance lhrou;^h  the  deep  winding-  street,  which  presently  widens  out  ami  disclosi's  in  the 
dim  persjiective  the  llaiikinL;-  towers  ol  the  old  dui:al  palace.  The  lights  are  lon^  out, 
and  the  revi'lk-rs  are  lonij;^  silent.  (bit  let  us  leave  behind  those  distracliiv,^  thouj^hts 
ol  the  world  and  turn  our  steps  towards  the  ancient  cathedr.d.  '.  )bserve  those  '!>  inj;' 
l.'uttresses  ;  how  the\  loom  up  .it^ainst  the  nii^ht.  We  enter  by  the  naxc.  What 
a  noble  vista  fading  awav  into  the  darkni's-,1  Those  graceful  elm-like  shafts  rist' 
nearlv    ei^htv    feet     from     the   lloor    beb)re    they    lose    themselves    in     the    groined    roof. 

Through  the  aisles  we  ^ct  u^limpses  ol  the  Lj'reat  mullioned  and  '/liated  windows.  The 
li''ht   has    now    all    but    faihnl    us.        That   human    torm   Kiu''    out    in    relief    on   the    'n-eal 


<)o 


lU/<    /'/(   /rA-/:\S(Jf/{ 


toiiil)   is  ;i    mailed    crusader,    with   arms    cross.-d,   awailin-     the   last    !r:r/7/J  iumI   liie   I. real 
Riiiih-.iviis.        This    l)laik    ai\lnva\     leads    dnwii    lo    the  aiK  ieiu    (lypt.      I.«'l    us    desi-eiid. 
Tht:    sloiu:    steps    are     lra\c'd    l.\    the    leet     ol     a.L^es.         llie    -loom    down     here    is    awful. 
Feel   your  wa\    l>y   those   mi-hly   pillars;     tlux    rarry   the  ehoir.        I'he   inassi\e   ruins  that 
jostle    \.)U   are    lallen    loml.s      the     lomhs    ol     the    Centuries.         I  he\    ha\e    witnessed   the 
trials,    the   sorrows,    th<'  an-iiish   ol    untold   -ciuMMiions,       This  i-ry|.t     is  as    old   as    IJishop 
Odo,    the    hrother    ol     the    Coni|uei-oi- ;     l.ut    there    w.is    a     lorest     sanetiuiry    here    ui   the 
days    of    the     Druids;     I  )ruids  ^  -a\e,     .i-cs     before     the      Druids!        Ditl     \ou     hear    solt 
music?  -"It    sounded    lik<-   the  si-hin-'  ol    th<'   winter   wind    in    the   forest."      It    (am.-   Irom 
the  ^reat   or-an   loft    far    ahove    our    lie.ids.        Now     lor    the    second     time    you    can    hear 
the    music    pealin-    aloii.u    the    v.uilted   roof;     tlio-,e    closing;-    not.'s    .ire     the    sui)phcatui.i;- 
tones   of   the    .\/is,riT,-.        It   has   ceased.        i'.iit    a-ain     the   or-an     he-ir.s    to    hreathe,   and 
now  a    \vr\    tempest    is    sweeping    lh<'    he\s.        The    reeds    fairh    shriek    with   terror,   aiul 
the   -ivat    pipes   swa\     to    and    fro    in     their    di-^tres-,.        Ihllow   after    hilh.w    of    sound    rolls 
over  our  lieads;     these   massive  archw.us  quiwr   like  .ispens.       It    is   the   pealino  .  thunder 

of   the    /h'ts    Inc. 

In  -(X'd  truth  the  Day  of  Wrath  was  ni-h.  TIk-  fearful  desol.iti(ui  that  within 
nine  years  swej.t  the  Land  of  th.'  .Neutrals  mi-ht  well  appear  to  the  C  hurch.  whose 
mission  had  l.e<'n  twice  rejected,  a  swift  an.l  lerrihle  jud-nieiu.  .\t  this  comin-.  the 
visitants   hore   in   their  hands   no  ;^-entK'    l',\an^cl. 

.\rmed    with   the    matchdocks    they   had    lalelv    -ol   from   the    Dutch   at    j-ort   ( )ran.,a- 
(.\ll.an\  ),    lh<'    Irotjuois.  in    lO-jS,  stole   th.rou-h   the   winter   forests   towards   their  old    foes, 
the    llurons.        When    si)rin,-    opened   the\    storme.l    the    llunm    towns,   and   exterminated, 
enslaved,   or  dispersed    the    inhal.itants.        Some  <.f    th.'    llm-ons   who  esca|.ed    the    toma- 
hawk   tied   for  refu-v   into   the    Neutral    Land;     l.ut    the    Irocpiois   no   lon-vr   respected   th.' 
neulralitv.  or  the  Cities  of    kefu-e.         Ihe   turn    of    the     Neutrals   themselves    came   next; 
and   wh.it   could   the  su|ierl.   p!iysi<pie.   or   the   wild    char-v  of   these   muscular  -iants,   avail 
a-ainst     lur-arms.     which     the     Huron     refu-.-es     ai.tly     named     •'irons     with     indwellin- 
devils'   '        Nevertheless    the    Neutrals   made   a    most   despi-rate    stni-.-le   f(U-    liU-.        Main 
memorials   of   their  kist   a-.my   hav<'   been    turned    up   l.y   the  settler's   plou-h.        The  cam- 
l)aiuii    ol    1(550   was   indecisive.       I"hou-h     the     Inxpioi^    hail    stormed    a     lar-c   town,    they 
had   aflirwards   been   defeated    with   a    loss    of    two    hundred    warrH)rs.        In    the   sprm-     ol 
thc^   followin-    year  the   invaders    returnecl    with    reinforcements.   ;uul   elteited   a   landing   at 
the   foot   of   what    is   now    i'.m.'rald   Street,   on    the  ('astern   ed-c  of    Hamilton.      This   spot 
was   really  the   k<'\-  of  the  N.'utral  l.aiul  from  the   side  of  Lake  Ontario;   for  it   commandeil 
the   |)orta-e    th.il     led    throu-h    the     Dundas    \'alle\    and   aiross   to   the   C.rand    River.        .At 
the   verv   landin-    place   .1   irem-Midous   battle    w.is    lou-ht.    in    which    the    Neutrals    sullereil 
<.verwhelminu   defeat.        I'heir    dead    idled   a   mound   which,   .ifter   the   rains  and   snows    of 
a    b.undreil   and    lift\    \ears    had    beaten   a-ainst     it.    measured    lifteen    leet     in    hei-ht    and 


.\VVv'////:A'.\    \/:/(,///u>h' 


9> 


tills    fret     In    (lianicltr  ;     and    which    cxcn     \fi,   altrr    cii^his     \c,ii>  ol    i:iilli\  alioii,    i^    lutl 
whoIK      olihtiiati'il.         Al      the      iK'Ws      ol 
this     (hia-^tiT       the      inland      towns      were 
aliandoni-d     lo     their    tate  ;      the     Iroipiois 
toi'ih     and     tomahawk       swept     nnresi-,t( 
o\er    the     lac*'      ol     tile     whoir     reiiinsula 
1  he   listers,    \\i\cs,    and    daiii^hlers   o|     the 
.\enll'al>      were      (h'ivcn       lielore      tile      con- 
(|iieror-,     auav     into      lni(|iioi-^      Land;     ol 
the     m.di'     inhaliitants    who    e-Ma|ied,     iJu; 
more     \  i-'oroii-i     iKal     to    tlie    coiintr\     be- 


yotul  1  .ake  I  I  nion,  while  the  chil- 
(h'eii,  the  sick,  aiul  the  aL;e<|,  cowered 
amoiii,;  tlie  fens  atid  lorests  and 
L^h'ns   ol     the   (  irand    Ixiscr. 

In     tliose    <l,irk    iki\s   man-,'    a\aiU'd 

themsel\es  of    the   shiUer  of    the    I'dol'a 

ravines,    which   seem   desi'jned   \i\    Xatnrc    for  a  coxert.        The    (ir.md     Kixcr    risiiiL;'    lOoo 


()j  och'  ricrcRiisori-: 

feet  al)()\('  th('  sea  wanders  moodil)'  throiij^li  tin-  fens  and  dark  forests  of  tlie  northern 
tounsliips  and  tlien  at  I-iti^mis  snddenly  plimncs  into  a  deep  ;4'orL;'e,  from  which  it  enierircs 
alioiit  two  niiUis  helow  the  I'alls  ol  Idora,  tlie  whoh'  (h-scent  of  the  ri\cr  within  tlic 
ra\ine  heini;  about  sixtv  feel.  A  httle  helow  I'dora  the  (Irand  Ki\tr  is  joined  li\  the 
Irvine,  which  liursts  throujjj'h  a  Ljor.i^e  similar  in  depth  and  rixallini:;  the  other  in  l)eant\'. 
The  loft)'  rock-walls  ol  these  raxines  are  of  ma^nesian  limestone,  which,  throiiL^h  the  sol- 
vent action  of  s|)rin_L;s  and  the  tlisrnpti\e  force  of  trost,  has  heen  burrowed  .md  chiselled 
into  enilless  caxcrns  and  recesses.  These  romantic  r(;treats  ha\c  latch'  been  made 
accessible  and  invitiiiL;  by  stairways  and  walks  and  seats;  l)ut  in  primeval  times  they 
could  Old)  XvAW  beiMi  re.icheil  b)  some  secret  |)athwa\'.  The  ihasni  was  then  wooded 
to  its  ver\'  \'ern'e,  and  the  doorways  of  the  caves  were  si-cureh'  screened  fi'om  view. 
it  is  probablv'  to  those  dav's  of  the  Irocjuois  Terror  that  we  should  refer  some  of  the 
most  interesting-  of  the  Indian  anticpiities  that  have  been  brouL,^ht  toi^ether  in  the 
Museum  at  I'dora.  In  the  laro^e  cavern  in  the  north  bank  and  a  little  below  the  balls, 
after  cktariuL;  away  earth  and  debris,  Mr.  Boyle  founil  amon^  the  remains  of  a  wootl 
tire  bones  of  small  (|uadrupeds,  which  had  evidentl)-  been  split  for  the  mere  sake  of 
the  marrow  the)'  contained,  -  implyint^  a  scarcity  of  food  not  ordiiiarily  occurrini^  in  this 
famous  huntinjf-_<;round,  but  probably  due  to  the  risk  of  eiicounteriniLj  enemies  in  the 
wf)ods.  A  lad  wanderino-  oni'  da)',  in  icSSo,  throui_di  the  (irand  River  ravine,  and  peer- 
ino'  into  ever)'  opening'  in  the  cliff  in  search  of  the  treasures  which  bdora  bo)s  believe 
are  somewhere.'  stored  u])  in  these;  rock-walls,  found  at  a  spring'  a  fcnv  beads  belony;injr. 
as  he  supposed,  to  a  huly's  necklace.  The)'  proved  to  be  violet,  or  precious  wam- 
puni.  The  search  hav  im^'  been  followed  back  into  the  cliff.  ;i  recess  was  reached  lar^e 
enoui^h  to  admit  the  hantl.  and  lilK-d  with  earth.  I  lu!  earth  when  washed  yiehled 
between  three  and  four  hundred  sludl-beatls  of  the  sanie  violet  or  pur|>le  colour.  I)id 
some  Indian  beaut)',  tlyino'  for  protection  to  tiiese  natural  cloisters,  aiul  takiiiLj  oil  her 
now  useless  and  dangerous  jewelry,  conlkU'  to  this  secure  casket  the;  necklaces  that  had 
set  off  her  charms  at  many  a  moonlii^ht  or  tirelii^dit  dance?  (  )r.  was  it  some  antitpie 
niiser  ? —perhaps  some  Huron  refus^ee.  for,  unlike  the  Neutrals,  tin;  llurons  had  a 
strong'  financial  turn  and  a  keen  instinct  for  vv;im])um,  iliil  some  miser,  carr)'ini;'  his 
mone)'  with  him  in  I'lis  llioht,  lock  it  up  in  this  Inxitk  vttii//  be)()iul  the  reach  ol  the; 
lro(|uois?  A  stream  tricklim^  through  the  strata  carried  out  belore  it  a  lew  of  the 
beads,  and  so  l)etra)'etl  the  secret  which  had  lain  fast  hidden  in  the  heart  of  the  rock 
for   more  than   two    i-enluries. 

The  solitude  which  followed  this  "  liarrvin^  of  the  North"  was,  if  possible,  more 
complete  than  the  desolation  carried  through  the  North  hnL;lish  shires  b)'  W'illiani  the 
Norman,  .As  the  Coiicpieror's  path  of  havoc  throuL;h  N  oikshire  coidd,  seventeen  )-ears 
afterwards,  be  tracetl,  pa^l^e  after  pa^e  of  Doomstlav  liook.  b)  tin;  entr)'  o)iiiiia 
7>.'its/(f,     "  ti    total    waste," — so    for    a    century    after    the    Inxpiois     invasion,    tlu;    brench 


X()A'/7//:a'.v  \i:n;iiiiOR  9;, 

iiKips  have  iiothiiii;  to  tell  ns  of  tliL'  Western  Peninsula  laii  iitifioii  di'lruitc,  iiatiou 
i/c/ini/c  —  "  trWw.?,  ext«'nninate(|.  "  The  ceasehiss  wars  ol  the  Ir()(|iiois  left  them  no 
leisure  for  colonization.  Durini::^  the  perioci  of  the  Con(|iieror's  occupation  \\v  have 
lieen  ai)le.  after  diliijent  researcli,  to  tuid  but  a  sinj;le  Irocpiois  hamlet  in  tin;  whoh; 
I'eninsula,  and  that  a  L,M*oup  ol  eiirhteen  or  twenty  huntini^  iodj^es.  This  hamlet  was 
tailed  1  inawatwa  ;  it  lommanded  the  lishinj^  and  hunliuL;  of  the  upper  (ir.md  River, 
and  stooil  near  the  western  vm\  of  the  porta}^(!  that  h.'d  over  from  HurliuL^lon  Hay. 
The  husbandry  of  the  pr<'\  ious  Indian  epoch  had  made  numerous  openings  in  the 
lorest,  sonu-  of  which  sur\i\cd  to  puzzle  the  U.  E.  Loyalists;  but  in  most  cases  the; 
.uu'ient  corn-tlelds  and  pum])kin-!4arilens  wen;  speedily  overgrown  by  lofty  trees  and 
diMise  undery^rowth.  In  this  New  l'"orest  the  \(;ry  sites  of  the  po[julous  Indian 
towns  and  \  illay'es  that  witnessed  the;  preachiiii;'  of  the  Jesuit  Missionaries  were  lost 
,111(1  forL;i»tten,  and  have  only  in  our  tiuK;  been  pariiall\-  recovered  after  patient  and 
laiiorious  resi-arch.  ( iame,  small  and  lars^e,  now  rapidly  imdtiplied  :  in  1669 — tiiat  is 
within  twent\-  \cars  after  tlu;  extermination  of  tlu,-  llurons  and  Neutrals— the  Sulpic- 
i.ui  Missionary  (ialinei'  ilescribes  the  Peninsula  as  menU'  the  stalkin!.;-<;round  for  tleer, 
anil  tht;  special  bear-e;arden  of  the  Irocpiois  sportsmen  frt)m  I'lastern  Nt;w  York.  The 
lilai'k  bear  establisheil  himself  here  so  strons^ly  that,  as  lalel\'  as  thirt)-  )-ears  ai^o, 
^portsmi'ii  of  anoth(;r  race  were  occasionalU'  rewarded  with  a  bear  in  the  nei^hbonr- 
iiood  of  I'.lora  :  and  their  adventures  supplied  e.xcitin;.^  "locals"  for  tlu;  columns  of 
/"//(•  /tiukwoodsiiiivi. 

The  outbreak  of  hostilities  betwt-en  I'" ranee  and  ICn^land  presently  left  the  Irocpiois 
no  leisure  for  himtiiii;'  excursions  to  the  west,  even  if  they  had  not  beeii  dispossess(;tl 
of  their  conipu'St  b\  the  nomads  of  tlu;  "Wild  North  Land."  Wanderim^-  (  )jebwa\- 
tribes,  particularh'  the  Mississai;as,  strecuued  in  from  tlu;  north,  aiul,  by  tlu;  tinu;  ol 
the  ke\()lutionar\'  War,  h.ul  ov(;rllowed  tlu;  whole  tract  from  the  I  )etroil  frontier  to 
the  (  )ttawa.  Li  tlu;  deeds  for  the  extinction  of  the  Lulian  title,  from  17S1  onwards, 
the  (.'anadian  ( "io\-eriU)rs  recognized  these  tribes  as  the  sole  aboriginal  races  of  tlu; 
W  estern  I'eninsula  ;  but  we  now  kiu)w  that  their  title  rested  on  .1  briel  occupation, 
and  that  the  historical  abori]4iiu;s  were  exlerminateil.  To  the  era  of  the  ( )jebway 
occupation  is  ri'ferr(;d  the  local  m\th  of  Chief  K.'i;-chim-a- Tik.  The  tai/iti/zaii  Monthly 
lor  iSSo  i^ives  a  mi'trical  \ersion,  telliui;-  how  a  fair  Lulian  captive,  devoted  to  the 
M.uiitou  of  tlu;  halls,  la\'  bound  on  an  altar  in  front  of  the  cav(;  thai  iu)w  b(;ars  the 
11. mu'  of  tlu;  Ojebway  chief  ;  how,  under  circumstances  of  spi;cial  awe,  the  chief  re.scued 
ii<r  from  the  ^^■lnitou  b\-  declarini,'-  her  his  wife ;  but  that  afterwanls,  provino-  faith- 
less, lu;  was  shot  by  an  arrow  aimed  from  the  wife's  ambush  in  tlu;  islet-rock  of  the 
lalls,  and  was  carried  into  the  caxc  to  die.  Of  softer  mould  was  that  despairing 
'ndian  maid(;n  who,  .Sappho-like,  ended  h';r  sorrows  by  a  plunge  from  the  "  Lover's 
Leap"  at  the   Meeting  of  the   Waters. 


94  OIR   /'/CTi/</:S(Ji'E 

Tlic  romantic  jujlfiis  <if  I'llora  ha\c  Itccn  lirdiii^lil  hv  the  rail  witliiii  tlirct-  or  four 
hours  of  roroiuo.  Milt  lifty  yt'ars  ai^o  IClora  was  |)racticall\'  farther  off  than  Killarncy  or 
Loch  Louionil.  An  atUcntinous  tishi'rnian  soini'tiiiK.'s  made  iiis  way  to  the  lalls.  and 
thiMi    rcl.itcii   l)y  the   winlcr-tu'i'   what    visions  of  loveliness  In-    had   seen    in   the   wilderness. 

rile  earhesl  white  settler,  Koswcll  Matthews,  arrived  here  on  the  lirst  day  of  winter. 
1817.  llis  e\|)eriences  have  luen  rerordeil,  and  they  afford  an  intcrostinj^'  picture  of 
Canadian  pioneer  hie  in  Western  Ontario  sixty  \ears  a^o.  Accom|)anied  by  his  wift- 
and  nine  ihildren,  the  eldest  no  more  than  eighteen. — Matthews  hewed  his  way 
through  the  junu^le  and  around  falKn  trees,  arrivim^,  aftiM'  days  of  incessant  toil,  on  the 
present  site  ol  I'llora.  ^«i,L;ht  was  then  closiuL;  in.  A  loi^-tire  was  lii^hted,  a  rude 
tent  of  luinloi  k  houghs  was  set  up.  and.  under  its  shelter,  lieds  of  hemlock  branches 
were  spread.  I  )urinu;  the  niL,du  a  heavy  snow-storm  scrl  in,  hearini;  down  the  woods, 
ami  strewing'  the  jj^round  with  tlu'  branches  of  lonlly  trees.  The  morninj;"  broke  i^rey 
and  dismal  on  the  shivering-  and  Ixiunnbetl  settlers.  The  cattle  were  turned  loose  to 
browse,  ami  in  an  hour  M.itthews  went  to  lind  them,  but  in  his  search  became  lost  in 
the  cedar  wootls.  .\fter  continuetl  shoutin_<r  he  was  cheered  by  the  aiisweriiiLi'  voice 
of  his  son,  and  so  found  his  way  back  to  his  anxious  family.  With  the  aiil  of  his 
brave  lads,  Matthews  built  a  Iolj  shanty,  lillinj,;  the  chinks  with  moss,  and  formint,;  the 
roof  of  lov^s  chiselled  into  rude  L;arL,^oyles  to  carr\'  off  the  rain.  By  Ma\'  a  clearinj^r 
had  bi'cn  made,  and  sowed,  and  planti.'d  :  the  rich,  marrowy  soil  soon  rc.'sponded  w  ith 
good  crops  of  wheat,  corn,  and  potato(;s.  .\  few  seasons  onward,  and  then  there  was 
a  surplus  for  market.  IWil  how  to  oct  there?  Matthews  and  iiis  sons  improvi-d  on 
their  recollection  of  Robinson  Crusoe  b\'  holIowinjLj  out  a  pine  1ol(  thirty  feet  lonl,^ 
Ea_ijerl\'  launching-  this  du^j-out  a  mih;  and  a  half  below  the  I'alls,  they  embarked  with 
sixteen  bai^s  of  wheat,  antl  pacUllin;^-  down  to  (ialt  they  found  a  purchaser  in  Absalom 
Shade,  who  paid  them  tift\'  cents  a  bushel  in  cash.  The  diiL;-out  was  sold  lor  two 
dollars  antl    a   half,   and    they   returned   home  afoot,    blithe  as  an\-   birds   ot    the    forest. 

The  traces  of  a  mill  near  the  scene  of  the  canoedaunch  remind  us  that  .Matthews 
did  better  as  a  rixer-pilot  than  as  a  millwrii^^ht.  Two  of  his  mill-dams  were  in  cpiick 
succession  devourcnl  by  ice-packs  which,  with  the  o|)enini:^  of  sjirintj^.  rushed  down  from 
the  iJoriLrt..  Enterprise  then  lan!:;uish(;d.  With  iSj;2  arrived  William  (dlkison.  the 
foumler  of  hdora,  who  had  alread\-.  in  iSii.  founded  Prescntt.  On  (ialt's  advice  he 
purchased  at  the  Cirand  River  balls  a  tract  of  fourteen  thousaiul  acres.  As  the 
novelist  informs  us,  Cdlkison's  manuscripts  pro\ed  him  to  l)e  a  man  of  literary  talent; 
and  thert;  is  no  doubt  the  scener\'  inlluenced  him  in  his  choice  almost  as  much  as  the 
mill-privileges  and  the  ft^rtility  of  the  soil.  Mis  political  opinions  he  proclaimed  aloud 
in  the  streets.  In  a  iiuniortiiuiiiDi  attached  to  his  will  he  mak(;s  it  imperative  on 
settlers  to  choose  between  "Hume  .Street,  Reform  Street,  Cobbett  Street,  and  Mac- 
kenzie   .Street."       Me  adds:    "I    will    have    but    one    street    to    the    river,    viz.,    Radical 


.V()A'/7//:a'X  m-:i(,iiiu)r 


95 


ECHO    CAVE,     IRVINE     RIVER. 


q6 


0(7^   PICTrRESOrF. 


Street."       All    these    names    have    disappeared,   and,  by    a    cruel    irony    of    fate.    Radical 

Street,  or  its  extension,  is 
now  "  Metcalfe  Street."  The 
Irvine  Ri\cr  was  named  at 
the  same  lime,  probably  with 
a  double  reference;  to  the 
town  in  Ayrshire;  and  its 
picturesque  riv(.;r, — the  town 
where  dalt  was  born  in  1779, 
and  wliere,  two  years  later, 
Robert  P)urns  set  u|)  his  un- 
happ\  eiUerprise  of  llax-dress- 
in<j-.  I'Mora,  the  name  of  the 
now  lari^e  and  [)ros[)erous 
villam;  that  stands  a  little; 
above  the  conllucncc;  of  tlic 
rivers,  was  borrowed  h'om 
Hindostaa,     being     an     early 


THK     BRIDGE,     IRVINE     KIVllK,     F.I.ORA. 

I'.iii^lish  transcription  of  F.lura. 
(dlkison  was  entertaining  some 
frienels  in  the  river-caxe;  oxer  against 
the  scene  of  the  Ojebway  traged\', 
wlien  the  inspiration  of  the  name 
i'.lora  was  breathed  on  him  b\  the 
Manitou  of  the  rixcr.  Looking 
down  the  glen  he  saw  the  lofty 
rock-walls     hewn      and     chiselled     1)\- 


ELM    VISTA,    GRAND     RIVKR,     ELORA. 


countless    winters    into    peelestal,    column,    and    entablature:     he    was    reminded     of    the 


.\oA'  riinRX  M- Kill  no  R 


rork-tcinjjk's  of  the  Indian  Klora,  with  their  lon.L,''  colonnacUis  of  sculptured  pillars. 
And  then,  lookinii^  towards  the  I'alls,  he  saw  the  cascade  and  the  delicious  verdure 
that   the;  sprini^f  rains  l^rini;-  to   those;   famous  caves  of  th(;    Deccan. 

In  those  tla\s  there  was  scarcely  a  trace  of  man's  presence  in  these  solitudes.  The 
oiiIn'  britlge  across  this  upper  Cirand  Ri\er  was  formed  by  a  gii^antic  pine  which,  jj^row- 
inL;  on  the  bank  abo\c-  tlu;  whirl  of  the  Devil's  Punch  Howl,  had  betMi  felled  b\'  the 
Indians  so  as  to  bridge  the  contractetl  throat  of  the  ravint;.  Thi;  Indian  Bridge  con- 
linued  long  a  curiosity  ;  it  was  at  length  hewn  away  by  a  mother,  whose  boys  were 
airing  themselves  too  freely  o\er  the  chasm.  The  first  visitors  to  the  New  Elora  saw 
the  forest  in  all  its  impressive  grandeur.  The  Hon.  Adam  k'ergusson  was  in  those 
da\s  looking  for  a  village  site.  He  arrived  here  on  the  jth  of  October,  1833;  and 
he  records  in  his  journal  his  morning  ride  through  the  autumnal  woods  to  the  site  of 
tile  future  Fergus. — "The  da_\'  was  tine,  anil  the  ]jrodigious  height  of  the  maples, 
elms,  and  other  trees  gave  a  solemn  character  to  the  stillness  ot  the  fori'St." — The 
"mill-privileges"  of  the  Graiul  l\i\cr  were  a  perilous  temptation  to  shear  it  com|)leti''\' 
of  its  glorious  wootls.  In  man\'  places  the  banks  ha\e  beiMi  shamefully  denuded. 
Kind  Nature  is,  however,  now  trying  to  heal  o\er  those  wounds,  and  it  Municipal 
Councils  would  Init  realize  that  a  manifold  soLirce  of  wealth  is  wasted  when  the)- 
permit:  attractive  scener)'  to  be  injured,  they  would  caretully  guard  these  natural 
resources. 

In  its  course  from  I'^lora  to  Lake  Erie  the;  (jrand  River  falls  six  hundred  feet; 
this  headlong  descent  suggested  to  Cialinee,  in  1669,  the  earliest  luiropean  name.  La 
Riviere  Rapidc.  .At  high  water  we  may  even  )et  make  a  canoe  \oyage — though 
through  more  than  two  huiulretl  miles  of  windings  -to  the  open  lake.  In  our  descent 
we  are  borne  swiftly  past  tht;  busy  seats  ot  industry  alreaily  \  isitecl  in  Wellington, 
W'alerloo,  and  Hrant.  Helow  ISrantford  the  river  lingers  so  long  over  the  mirror  that 
rellects  its  own  loveliness,  that,  in  winding  through  the  liagle's  Nest  ;ind  the  Oxbow 
liend,  the  chamud  wanders  fourteen  miles  while  advancing  three.  This  was  too  much 
for  impatient  forwarders  :  a  canal  was  cut  across  by  the  Cirand  River  Navigation 
Company.  Then  we  glidt;  peacefiill\  through  natural  meadows  or  romantic  glens, — 
the  past  or  the  present  domain  of  the  Six  Nation  Indians.  The  Mission  Churches 
and  the  Indian  Institute  have  tlone  much  to  elevate  the  Indians;  but,  in  spite  of 
missions,  some  of  the  redskins  remain  sturdx'  pagans,  still  offering  the  White  Dog  in 
solemn  sacrilice,  and  still  keeping  the  I'east  ot  (ireen  Corn  according  to  the  ancient 
rite.  As  \\(\  approach  the  village  of  Caledonia  the  river  suddenly  descends  seven  or 
I'ight  feet,  and,  passing  under  the  britlge  of  the  Northern  and  North-western  Railway, 
expands  to  a  width  of  two  hundred  )'ards.  The  broail  channel  is  spanned  1)\-  a  tine 
iron  bridge,  which  connects  the  two  halves  ot  the  \illage.  ;\  mik;  ilown  the  ri\er  on 
the    left  W(.>    observe;    a    r\iined    canal-lock    and   a    row    of    ck'ca\e(.l    house's    e)ii   the    bank. 


98 


OUR  picrrRHsorr 


Tliis   is  all   that    is    left    of 
the     ai 

Seneca,  whose  stir  aiul 
acti\ity  were,  thirty  \ears 
a,n(),  citeil  as  an  unanswera- 
ble reliuke  to  "  tlu-  cry  of 
ruin  and  decax' I  "  Seiu^c? 
was  one  of  tlu 
createtl  1)\'  the  dranc 
River  Xaxiqation  Compa- 
n\.  llieir  tus^s  and 
steamboats    useel    to 


s^iN'e  niui'h  aiiiniatitJii 


in    those    days. 


to      the      landscape;  : 
they       plied       I  ro  ni 
Hrantford     lo     Lake 
I'.rie      ami     Iluthdo  ; 
or,    turnuiL;    aside  at 
)  u  n  n \  i 1 1 e  ,      they 
steamed  through  the 
Canal-feeder    to    tlu; 
ports  on    Lake    On- 
tario.      There    were 
(giants    in    the   forest 
Passinj;    throuoh     the     townshij)     of     Dumfries,    (>alt     ran     at^ainst    an 


Cl.eH     HOUSE. 


oak,   whose     <rirth    at    ; 


I     man  s 


heiidit     from    the    around     was     lhirt\-three     feet,     while 


A'OR  TIIHRN  NEIGH m  Vv' 


99 


llr;  shaft  rose  without  a  branch  for  eitjhty  feet.  The  mutilated  trunks  of  these 
Titans  passed  the  Grand  River  locks  in  ceaseless  procession.  At  Seneca  the  two  sides 
of  the  river  were  joined  by  a  substantial  bridj^e,  and  wt-re  fringed  with  mills  and 
factories, — all  of  which  ihe  Nemesis  of  the  I'orcst  lias  swept  awa\-  cxcn  to  their  \ery 
foundations.  On  that  j^rassy  mound  yond(!r,  around  \.hich  the  stream  is  still  searchinjr 
for  tlu^  lost  mill-wheel,  stood  a  jjjreat  saw-mill  specially  ecpiippeil  for  the  giy^antic  tim- 
ber that  came  down  the  ri\('r.  Hut  the  tinest  lumber  brought  a  mert'  [>ittance,  for  the 
wliole  forest  was  thrown  upon  the  market.  There  was  no  husl)anelr\'  (;f  the  woods, 
no  care  for  the  futun;,  no  renewal  of  trees:  "After  us.  the  delui^e!"  As  the  wood- 
lands were  stripped,  there  came  spring"  freshets  of  terrific  violence  ;  for  the  winter's 
snow  that  formerly  melted  at  leisure  was  now  instaiul\-  released  by  the  first  warm 
sun.  These  lloods  rose  high,  overllowed  th<.'  banks,  and  turned  the  woods  into  veritable 
parks  of  artillery:  fallen  trees  were  drawn  into  the  swift  current,  and  launched  against  the 
Navigation     Company's     works, 


'~i»f^t  *^  ■' 


T~ 


demolishing  lock-gates,  dams, 
bridges.  'ihe  retribution  was 
complete  :  the  forest  was  e\- 
liausted,  the  river-fountains  were 
(h^ained, — and  so  also  were  the 
Company's  finances.  The  open- 
ing, in  1S56,  of  the  Buffalo  and 
Lake  Huron  I\ailwa\'  from  Fort 
luMe  to  Stratford  completed 
the  Company's  disaster.  At 
onl\'  a  few  points  on  the  river, 
■a\m\  onl\-  for  manufacturing 
purposes,  are  the  constructions 
maintained.  This  ruined  lock 
at  Seneca  is  a  very  picture  of 
desolation.  The  canal-l)ed  is 
so  silted  up  as  to  be  used  for 
a  kitchen-gartlen, — a  garden  of 
(ucumbers.  The  great  oaken 
arm    that   swung    a  welcome    to 

die  arri\ing  \i;ssel,  or  wa\-ed  a  ban  voxaoc  to  the  lake  raftsmen,  has  fallen  down  in 
helplessness  and  sheer  despair  Once  the  lock-gate  braced  its  massive  shoulder  against 
'he  mound  of  water;  now,  withei'ed  and  shrunken,  the  mud  drivelling  from  its  parted 
hps,  it  stands  there  the  image  of  weakness  aiul  imbecility.  Let  us  away.  .Some 
'iiiles    down    the  bank   the  eye   rests  with   enjoyment    upon   three   noble  trees,   which   may 


UM.K   I  NSI  1)     SrOKlSMKN. 


\no 


orh'  i'iciri<i-:s()(i-: 


!„■   tak.'ii     as  rxainplfs    of    ihc    lefty   ••Inis    that    once    aippr.!    lluir   frin-cs    ,n     this    riv.T. 
\Vr    aiv    now    in    the    dislrirl    which,    iniincdialcly    after    the     I'.'aec    ^^{     i  jS,^    was    sctthnl 
l,y    ih.:     otlKHirs    ..f     I!iiIUt's     Kan-.M-s.         Dunn-    th.'     k.^vohitionary    War,    Ch.ncl    John 
lUulrr  rais.nl    in   llu-    Mohawk    \allc\    a    Roy.iHsl   forer,    wmV-   np  of  caN.ih-y  an.l    infantry, 
„f  scltlrrs  aiul    Indians.       Tlu:    In.hans   won-    nn.lcr    Brant's    inmirchalr    coninian.l.        I  h<- 
cavah-y    wore    nanioc!    after    iheir    conmiander.     llutU'r's     Kan-ers.        1  laU--nian,    haUdiorse, 
these    C<-nlaurs    swept     with    aniaziii-     rapichty    from    point   to   point,   carryin-    terror    and 
desohui<.n     in    their    scahhards.        llavin-    hiid    no    h-h.t    liand     npon     the   "  Whi-s."   ihey 
couKl     hope    for    no    forh-arance    in   the  con.iuerors.         Ruined   hy   ihe   war,   an.h   Hke   the 
other     l.eyahsts,    shanu'fnlly    for.eotlen     in     the   irealN'.    lUitler    and   his    olVicers    h.oked    to 
Canachi   for  shelter.      While    their   colonel    followed    Governor   SiniccH'   to    Nia-ara.    Major 
Nelles  and    some    of    ihe    other    othcers  acceptc-d    an     invitation   from   their  old  comrade. 
Captain     Brant,     and    settled    on     the     Indian     Reserve-.       To     Xdh's      lirant     made     the 
princely   -ifl   of    u    Leant iful    plot  of    nine    s(iuar(^    miles.       After    the    usual     preliminary 
low-iiouse.   a     sul.stanlial     homestead     was    erected,   which,    in     all    e-ssential     features,     still 
s^^vives,   and    forms  an    interesting  example  of  a   V.    V-.    Loyalist  home  of  the   best   class, 
thou-h    perhaps    u.ii.iue    in    si/.e.       The    iloors    are    carried     on    lu-avy    s(,uared    timbers, 
some  of   which    ride  on    piers    massive   enou-h     f..r  brid-e    abutments.        The    -reat  cellar 
wa.  cpiarried  out    of   tlu-  solid  rock,  and    was   famous  all    throu-h   the  Crand    River  Valley, 
not   only   for  its  capac:ty.   but    for  its  eenerons  chec-r.       Surveyor  Welsh,    while  exploring 
th,.   C.nind     River    in    the    c<.ld.    wet    summer    and     ball    of    1 79O,   descrilu-s    in    his    field- 
notes    his    extreme    hardships.        In    carryin-    the  r.overnm.mt     survc-y   ihrou-h   the  dense 
,un-le   that   thc-n    <,vcM-rew  this   valley,    he  and    his   party  were   left    without    cvcM-in-   for 
thd^-   feet   or  supplies  b.r  the    campd<c:ttle ;    and    they   wc-re    bnally    compelled    to    retreat 
for    the    purpose    of    rcwictuall in-.      In    thc-ir    destitution   they  ea-erly  availed   themselves 
of   the   hospitable   roof-tree   of    William    Nelles.    who   th(-n   occupied   the   homestead. 

After  wc-  tloat  past  the  villa-es  of  York  and  Indiana  an  express  Ir.ain  of  the 
Canada  Southern  Railwav  thunders  overhead.  We  rest  for  a  few  minutes  at  Cayu-a. 
the  county  seat  of  Haldimand.  Here  the  Loop  or  Air-line  of  the  Crc-at  Western  sucb 
denly  conver-es  to  the  Canada  Southern,  and  for  m.)re  than  a  score  of  miles  eastward 
th,.  two  lines  run  side  in"  side.  Passin-  under  the  Loop-Line  I!rid-c:  w(>  tak.^  a  look 
at  the  Countv  IU,ildin-s.  which  were  erected  from  a  desi-n  ,)f  the  late  L'.  W.  Cumber- 
land on  a  plot  runnin.c,^  out  to  the  riverd)ank.  Then  wc  sweep  past  pretty  river-islands, 
and  undernc.ith  the  brldj^e  that  carries  Talbot  Street  across  the  (irand  River.  This 
old  militarv  and  colonization  n.acl  ranked  in  im,.ortance  with  Vonu-e-  Street  and  Dundas 
Stn-et;  it  ran  from  the  Niagara  Frontier  to  the  Talbot  settlement,  a  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  westward,  with  c-xtcMisions  to  Leamin-ton  and  Satulwich.  and  a  northern 
l,ranch  from  Port  Talbot  to  London.  The  "  Str.-et  "  still  bc-ars  the  name  of  the  eccen- 
tric rcck.se.-military.    not  rcligious,-whose   Christian   name    has    been    both    canonized 


X(iA'////:A\V   X/:7(,7//>'()A' 


^^«i»^^ie 


A     rA^TORAT.     nil  I -Sini— (".KAMI     KI\'I  K     VMI.KY. 


I02  iH-R  ricrrRJiSQi'i'. 

aiul  ciishriiu^cl  in  "St.  Thomas."  Below  Talbot  Street  Hridoe  the  (jraiul  River  makes 
a  sharp  elbow  :  a  f(!W  strokes  of  the  paddle  and  we  pass  the  tiiU'  church  of  .St. 
Stephen's,  with  its  tower  and  spire  shadowed  in  the  water.  Then  past  the  i;\psum 
catacombs  tunnelled  far  back  into  the  Onondaj^a  Tormation.  Ihe  rivt;r  now  widens 
to  a  lake.  Ik-fore  an  iidand  sea  became'  the  i^reat  mill-i)ond  for  the  Wellantl  Canal, 
the  (irand  Rixcn-  was  banketl  up  at  l)unnville:  and  though  now  rarely  used  for  pur- 
|)oses  of  naviL^ation,  the  great  ilam  continues  to  furnish  valuable  water-power  to  the 
mills  and   factories   l)elow. 

Tort  .Maillaiid  is  at  K.'nuth  reaclunl,  on  the  l)roatl  estuary  of  the  (iraml  River,  and 
we  are  now  in  full  view  of  the  Lake.  'To-day  it  is  a  scene  of  wild  u])roar,  for  a 
furious  October  ^ah;  is  blowing'  from  the  south-west.  L^niler  tlu;  lash  of  the  tem])est, 
the  ^reat  waxes  rear  and  plunge  ;  then,  tossini,;'  their  iL^rey  manes,  they  are  off  like 
race-horses  for  the  shore.  Ihey  are  now  nearin^-  the  land,  their  heavin>;'  tlanks  white 
with  loam,  and  the  earth  (|uivi;rs  beneath  the  ihumler  of  their  cominiL,^  just  like 
tlu'  (October  <-la\-  of  '^^:;,  that  rimt  the  rope  of  sand  which  had  until  then  anchored 
Loiil;-  Point  to  the  mainlanil.  A  sou'wester  banked  up  the  lake  into  a  i;reat  water- 
wall  to  leeward  :  then,  the  wind  suddenl)-  falling;',  the  water  returned  westward  with 
a  tremendous  recoil,  breaching-  the  isthmus,  and  jilou^hin;^-  out  a  channel  nine  fei't 
deep  and  a  ihousaiul  feet  wide.  And  just  like  that  October  tla\'  of  1669,  when 
("lalinec:  saw  Lake  j^rie  in  its  wrath,  and  wrolt;  the  earliest  notice  of  these  stormy 
waters.  JoUiet  had  discovered  aiul  e.Nploretl  the;  lake  but  a  week  or  so  Ix'fore.  lie 
hatl  also  found  out  and  explored  the  (iraiul  Ri\er,  which  was  to  be  but  tlu;  prelutle 
to  his  tindinL;'  a  grainier  ami  a  mii;htier  ri\-er  the  Mississippi  itself.  We  have  already 
witnessed  the  interxiew  of  Jolliet  with  La  Salle  ami  his  .Sulpician  Missionaries 
(ialinee  and  l)ollier.  TVom  jolliet's  own  rou^h  chart  of  his  discoveries,  (ialinei;  matle 
a  more  scientific  route-map,  and  subsequently  corrected  this  by  his  own  explorations. 
Galinee's  manuscript,  bearing  the  date  of  1670,  was  a  few  \ears  ago  discovered  b\- 
M.  ALirgr\-  among  the  Paris  .Archives,  and  it  supi)lies  the  earliest  existing  ma|)  ol 
Peninsular  Ontario  ;  for  Champlain's  map  and  others  that  followed  were  only  conject- 
ural, except  as  to  the  tract  covered  1)\-  the  Huron  Mission.  Cialinee's  narrative  has 
been  made  accessible  in  the  able  monograph  of  the  Abbe  X'erreau.  Well,  leaving 
jolliet  ami  La  .Salle,  and  descemling  the  C irand  River  with  a  convoy  ot  ten  voyagcurs 
and  threi;  canoes,  the  .Sulpicians  worked  along  the  T^rie  shore  westward,  looking  for 
winter  (piarters.  'They  selected  for  their  encampment  one  of  the  streams  entering  the 
lake  to  the  south  or  south-east  of  jarvis,-  doubtless  the  stream  marked  A'.  d'Ollicr  in 
Hellin's  Carte  dcs  Lacs,  of  1744.  1  L-re  in  the  woods,  about  half  a  mile  back  from  the 
shore,  they  spent  rive  months  and  eleven  days  ;  anil  during  three;  months  of  this  sojourn 
the)'  encountered  not  a  human  being,  not  even  an  Iro(pu)is  hunter.  So  unbroken  was  the 
solitude  still,  though  a  score  of  years  had  passetl  since  the  extermination  of  the  Neutrals. 


XOA'  rilERN  NEIGHBOR 


\o'- 


siMcob:. 


Tin;  LoiiLT  Point  couiitrv 
still  iiKiintains,  tliroiiiL;li 
[""ishery  Laws  aiul  (.'lub" 
Icnise  rcmilations,  soine- 
thiii!;;'  of  its  ancient  ccle- 
l)rit\  lor  tishini:;-  and  for  fowling;  but  two 
centuries  a!.;o  there  was  no  necessitx'  for 
"  open  "  sc:asons  or  close  preserves.  The 
waterwa_\s  wert;  thron^etl  1)\-  black  bass,  sptckleJ  trout,  and 
sluri^con.  Tlu;  salmon,  —  tiie  "  Kini;-  of  fresh-waler  lish,"  as 
eld  Izaac  Walton  calls  him,  was  unable  to  storm  Xiai^ara  b'alls,  and  so  was 
unavoidably  absent.  ISut  ihe  pike.  Walton's  "tyrant  of  fresh  water,"  -was  there  in 
the  form  both  of  the  "  Mi-htN-  Luce,"  and  of  the  far  mv^XW-'wr  Masqiic-alloiioc.  To 
entertain  his  company  on  mallard  ducks,  or  canvas-backs,  or  •'red-heads,"  or  "pin- 
tails, or  "  bluf^-wiiiMcd  teal,"  a  fowler  of  r.alinee's  part)-  nt'eded  not  to  be  punted  out 
into  the  marshes  ;  nor,  anchoring-  wooden  tiecoy-ducks,  to  lie  perdu  amonij^  the  wild 
nee  until  the  birds  left  home  at  early  morn,  or  came  in  from  the  lake  at  twilii.,dit. 
In  those  (lays  thc^re  was  no  need  of  ambuscade,  or  breech-loading-  "choke-bores,"  or 
pat(Mit    ammunition;      the     feathered    uame     llew    in    such    cloudis    into    the     iM-enchmen's 


104 


OCR  /'/c/'Ch'/-:so[7': 


faces,  that  tlun-  had  only  to  l)hi/,c  a\va\-  as  fast  as  they  could  load  their  cliinisy 
siiai)iiances ;  llu-y  inii^^ht  mi'ii  knock  down  the  iliicks  with  thi;ii'  wootU-n  ramrods. 
Alter  the  water-fowl  had  taken  their  southwanl  llii^ht,  the  winter  of  1669-70  set  in 
so  mild  that  the  purx'eyors  for  the  camp  would  onl)'  have  to  go  throuLjh  the  forest 
and  knock  Christmas  turkeys  off  the  l)ranclies.  Nor  was  the  fruit)'  sauce  wantin^J. 
for  tialinee  enunntrates  cranberries  {ics  a/A  as)  amons^  the  stores  in  the  larder.  Then 
there  was  xc-nison  of  three  sorts,  and  in  marvellous  ahuntlance  ;  it  was  served  liolh 
smoketl  ami  fresh.  By  wa\'  of  ciitrcc  there  couUl  he  liad  for  the  taking,  that  tidhit 
of  Indian  chiefs, — the  tail  of  a  plump  heaxer.  Hut  the  hears, — ah,  we  hail  forj^otten 
the  hears  !  These  most  of  all  arouse  the  worth)-  .Sulpician's  enthusiasm,  for  "  tlu-y 
were  fatter  and  l)t'lter-lla\ ounnl  than  the  most  savour)'  roast-pij^;'  of  I'rance."  I'iv(;r)'- 
thiuL,''  called  up  meiiiories  of  the  old  home.  The  encampment  was  in  a  land  of  xincs 
and  walnut  trees.  After  the  choice  nicnn  of  the  wootUands  had  Ixjcn  discussed,  these 
i^uests  of  fair  New  I'rance  doubtless  often  lin^eretl  around  the  rustic  table  to  re- 
member the  dear  Old    Land 

"  In  al'ier-dinner  talk 
Across  tlie  walnuts  and  the  wine." 

Galinee  describes  the    wild  L^rape  of  the  district  as  red  and  sweet,   and  as  (equalling 
in    size    and    thn'our    tlu;    be.  "    I'Vench    ^rape's.        It    yiedded    a    fidl-bodicil    wine    ol     rich 


■■•*^*tw^ 


KIKINf;     Ol'T     A     SOU'WKSri.R     U.N'DLK     Ll.K     OK     LONG     POINT. 


colour,   remindin;^r  hi,n  „f    the  wine  of    the  Graves    District   (near    Bordeaux),   and  (|uite 
as  ,i,mod.       On   some  bits  of    sandy  loam   near    Lake   Erie,    this  grape  grew  in   such   pro- 


.\'(>/v'  riiiiRX  xi:n;iinoR 


lO: 


fusion  tlial  t\V(;iUy  or  thirty  hoiijsheads  (/i,jr/i/iiis)  of  i^^ood  wine  iniL;IU  Ikuc  hcfii  madr 
upon  tile  spot.  Altoiretlicr,  cpiotli  l-'atlu-r  (ialinc'c,  "this  country  I  call  the  earthly 
I'aradisc    of  Canada  {Ic  payadls  tcn-cslrc  liii    i'iiii(u/(t)." 

On  Passion  Sunday  (March  23),  1670,  the  Sulpicians  with  their  voyaocms  went 
down  to  the  lake-shore,  and  there  set  up  a  cross,  hearini^-  the  arms  of  Louis  X I  \'. 
They  thus  in  solemn  form  took  possession  of  the  couiur\-  for  I'r.mce,  while  coinniemo- 
ratinc;'  their  own  sojourn  in  these  solitudes.  The  wooden  cross  must  ha\c  soon 
disappeared  ;  hut  they  left  a  more  (Mulin'in!^'^  miMnorial  of  their  toilsome  march  in  the' 
fra_i(ments  of  luiropean  pottery  that  startleil  the  first  I'"n_nlish  scatlers  on  the  lake-troiu. 
ill  th(Mr  (^ai^^-rness  to  enter  on  tlu'ir  niissionar\'  labours,  the  Sulpicians  imprudently 
broke  up  the  encampiiKMit,  ami  withdrew  from  the  woods  before  sprinj^'  had  o])ened. 
Immediately  afterwards,  they  suffered  the  direst  (extremities  of  cold  ami  hun;^cr. 
Easter  Sunday  was  spent  on  the  isthmus  that  then  connected  the  present  Loul;  Point 
Island  to  the  shore.  The  fora_L^ers  had  becouK;  so  reduced  l)y  want  of  food  that  they 
could  scarcely  crawl  into  the  woods  to  look  for  ^ame  ;  but  the  missionaries  ^ave  up 
part  of  their  own  scanty  allowance  to  lend  strem^th  to  the  others,  aiul  a  half-star\ed 
deer  was  soon  broui^ht  into  th<>  camp.  .So  this  forlorn  party  spent  Master  1  )a\-. 
Through  Easter  week  they  subsisted  on  a  little  maize  softened  in  hot  water.  I'lie 
lake  seemed  to  them  to  I'md  a  malicious  j()\-  in  thwarting  their  progress.  ( )nce  a 
tremendous  surf,  rising  suddenly  carried  off  a  canoe,  and  k:ft  them  to  cross  half-fro/en 
streams  as  best  they  might.  Then  one  night,  as  th(;\-  were  slumbering  hea\  il\  on  I'oini 
I'elee  after  a  march  of  nearly  twent}'  leagu(;s,  a  \iolenl  north-east  wind  sprang  up,  and 
the  lake  swept  across  the  strand,  up  the  bank,  and  within  six  feet  ot  where  they 
slept,  bearing  away  with  tlu?  returning  wa\e  the  greater  part  of  the  baggage  and  pro- 
\isions.  The  missionaries  lost,  what  was  to  them  of  intiniteh'  greater  moment,  the- 
Communion  service,  without  which  the\-  could  not  now  (.'stablish  their  int(;nded  mission 
on  the  Ohio.  It  is  plain  that  Lake  I^rie  was  of  ;is  stormy  and  tlangerous  a  temper 
two  hundred  \-ears  ago  as  it  is  to-da\',  when  a  whole  tleet  of  vessels,  like  wikl  .^wans 
among  the  lagoons,  cower  for  shelter  uiuK.'r  \\\v  Point.  Prom  the  da)s  ol  |olliet  and 
the  Sulpicians  until  now  this  wiKl  Iak(;  has  been  the  rough  nurse  of  bold  adxcnture, 
and  of  heroic  self-sacritice.  P'very  one  is  familiar  with  the  stor\-  of  brave  John  May- 
nard,  the  l-lrie  lake-pilot,  whose  \\vx\  death  at  the  helm  (iough  has  so  powerfully 
described.  P)Ut  nt^arer  home,  and  too  little  known  to  Canadians,  is  the  inspiring  story 
ot    the    Heroine   of   Long    Point. 

The  November  of  1S54  chased  with  the  storms  and  bitter  cold  of  mid-winter. 
Among  th(;  vessels  belated  on  the  Lake,  was  the  thnn'-masted  schooner,  Coiidintoi\  of 
Amherstburg,  laden  with  grain  to  the  water's  edg(%  and  striving  to  make  the  Welland 
Canal.  Driven  before  a  furious  sonth-w(;st  gale,  while  attempting  to  rountl  Long 
I'oint  and  reach   the   Bay  within,  she  struck  heavily  on   the  outer  bar,   and  then  plunged 


io6  (^('/^  I'lrrrRRsori- 

hcailUniL;  into  the  (Iccp  water  hcsoiid.  The  rie;<jinj^  still  stood  iiho\c  water,  and 
attordcd  a  tciuporar)'  retreat  to  (."apt.iin  liackett  and  his  six  sailors.  Hut  even  l.islu'd 
to  the  ri^L^iiit^''  they  could  scarcely  keej)  their  loothold.  All  through  lh.it  loiij^r  ni^ht 
of  horrors  the  Iree/in^;'  L;ale  kept  up  its  weird  shriekiuL^'  in  the  shrouds,  deadcMiinjr  the 
men's  limbs  and  slrikini,-'  des|)air  to  their  hearts,  .Showers  of  sharp  sleet  threshetl  them 
as  with  a  llail.  Ralked  of  tlu.-ir  prey,  the  waves  seemed  infuriat<'d  :  thos(?  lake-wohcs 
would  leap  up  at  the  sailors,  and  clutch  at  them,  lea\in^-  the  white  fo.im  of  their  lips 
on    the  stiffenin_<r  <j^armt;nt.s.       Truly   the   men   were   in   the   \vx\   jaws  of  death. 

The  lont;'  santl)-  island  that  the  tirst  dawn  discloscnl  had  for  its  sole  inhabitants 
tlu;  lii^ht-house  keeper  at  the  I'oint,  and  then,  lifteen  miles  off,  a  trajjptM-  named  Becker 
with  his  wile,  .Xhii^ail,  and  their  Noun^'  children.  I'he  trapper  was  just  then  absent  on 
the  mainhuul.  trading-  his  little  store  of  mink-skins  and  muskrats,  not  one  of  which 
could  be  spared  to  i^'ct  his  wile  and  children  e\cn  shoes  or  stockini^^s.  Mrs.  iJecker's 
rest  had  been  broken  by  the  storm,  and  lookint,''  out  at  da\--l)reak  she  saw  the  fray'- 
ments  ol  one  of  the  L'oiniiiiloi' s  boats  thrown  up  almost  at  her  ver\-  door.  InstantK' 
she  was  abroad,  pacini;'  the  strand,  and  seai-cliiu!:;',  with  anxious  e\'es,  the  l)reakers  out 
be\()nd  the  roadstead.  .\t  len;.^th  the  m;ists  of  a  schooner  were  made  out,  and  dark 
objects  against  tlu'  sk\'  !  Hack  to  her  poor  board  shant\'  for  matclu-s  and  the  tea- 
kettle :  and  then,  with  naked  feet,  two  miU's  aloni,''  the  shore  in  the  pitiless  free/in^' 
storm.  .Soon  a  ^reat  tire  ol  drill-wood  was  blazin^^'  iii,L;h.  To  and  fro  she  paced  before 
the  tire  all  ila_\  lon^', — tor,  perhaps,  cheeretl  by  this  human  presence,  those  mariners,  if 
still  ali\-e,  miL^ht  make  the  \-enture.  To  and  fro  all  day  lonij;',  but  still  no  sii^n  !  .\nd 
now  another  ni^hl  of  horrors  was  fast  closini:^  in, — assuretlly  for  them  the  last  ni,i,du. 
She  was  a  i;iant  in  stature,  ami  she  had  a  brav(-'  heart  to  match  !  With  her  naked, 
beiiunibed  feet  slu;  strode  down  the  shore,  across  the  frozen  weeds,  across  the  rou^h 
shinyle,  across  the  spiny  tirift-wood,  to  the  water's  edyje.  .She  niij.jht  L,a;t  a  fi;w  feet 
nearer  to  those  unhappy  men.  Not  a  moment's  hesitation,  but  \-'\<-^\\.  into  tlu-  freezing; 
surf  \.\\)  to  her  arms  !  Hy  (.gestures  she  tlin<;s  thein  wild  entreaties  to  make  the  effort. 
All  this  hatl  be(Mi  seen  from  the  mast-head,  ami  it  was  now  clear  that  there  was  no 
boat  coming-  to  their  relief.  The)'  were  strong'  swimmers  evi;ry  one  ;  but  could  the; 
strontj^est  swimmer  live;  in  such  a  sea  ? — "  Men,"  saiel  the  captain,  •"  our  choice  is  l)etween 
certain  death  here  and  possible  safety  shorewards."-- The  captain  himself  would  make 
the  venture,  and,  as  he  fared,  the  others  could  tieciile  to  follow  or, — to  stay.  Commend- 
xw^  his  soul  to  ("iod,  he;  plunii^ed  into  the  seething  water.  llow  anxiousi)'  he  was 
watched  1  A  few  j)owerful  strokes  bear  him  far  beyond  the  ri^scue  of  his  crew,  who 
entreated  him  not  to  make  this  useless  sacrifice  of  his  life.  So  far  he  bears  himself 
well:  he  is  j^ainiiiL;  fast.  Hut  he  disap|)ears  ;  he  is  ^one  untler  that  tremendous  roller. 
CoiuMi^e.  lads,  there  he  is  a<^ain.  still  swimming,  though  not  so  strong.  All!  he  is  plainly 
weakening;    will  his   strength  hold  out  in  that  freezing    shexil-vvater  ?     Hravo  I  he  is  now 


XOA'  riiHRX  \/:/(;///u  )/< 


lo: 


on  his  fi'ct.  Hilt  what  has  hapixiicd  ?  Oh,  that  tcrrihlc  uiKlcr-iow  has  cam^flit  him  ami 
iUiiil;  him  ih)\vii.  ami  is  iiiiiT\  iiii^  him  l)aci<  to  tin;  open  ial<c.  After  all,  he  is  lost  ? 
No,  that  nohlc  woman  dashes  into  the  surf,  j^rasps  him,  ami  hrim^s  him  saft^ly  to  laiidl 
Then  one  of  the  crew  makes  the  \-enture.  \V'h(;n  he  approaches  thi-  shore  the  captain 
will  not  allow  his  preserver  to  emlan_L((!r  her  life  ai^^ain  :  he  plutii^es  into  the  breakers 
to  aid  the  failiriLl  swimmer,  lint  the  iinder-iow  chiiches  hoth.  and  the  brave  Al)ii,''ai! 
ii.i>    this  time  to   make    a  double    rescue.      l'i\e   times   more;,    till    the   last   man    is    landed. 

Then  for  the  tn-e  and  th(\ 
tea-kettle  lo  restc^rt-  life  lo 
these  half- frozen  sailors. 
When  they  were  able  to  use 
their  benumbed  limbs,  sIk; 
led  the  wa\'  lo  a  place  of 
shelter ;  and,  lakini^'  from 
her  litlU;  ston-  of  food,  she 
L;a\(-'  unlo  them.  So  they 
were  tenderly  cared  fv,r,  tla\' 
alter  day,  until  a  [)assinL^- 
\-essel  took  them  oil,  and  re- 
stored them  to  their  homes. 
As  soon  as  the  castawaxs 
rc'aehed  Andierslburi:;-,  where 
the  \essel  had  been  owned 
and  manned,  lhe\-  did  not 
fail  to  enlist  public  interest 
in  birhalf  of  the  heroine. 
The  owner  of  the  vessel, 
Mr.  John  McLeotl, — then  a 
member  of  the  Canadian  I'arliameni,  led  the  moxement,  and  besides  raisin:^-  a  substan- 
tial purse  by  private  subscription,  induced  the  CioNcrnment  lo  allot  to  Mrs.  Hecker,  from 
the  Crown  Lands,  a  lumdred  acres  nctar  Fort  Rowan,  and  looking-  out  upon  the  scent; 
of  the  rescue.  Then  Captain  l)orr  so  interested  the  merchants  and  shi[)-()wners  of 
Hut'falo,  that  Mrs.  Becker  was  invited  over,  and,  after  beint^r  feted,  was  presented  with 
a  |)urse  of  $i,ooo  to  stock  the  farm  ^ranted  by  the  Canailiaii  l^irliamenr.  Present  1\ 
the  tale  of  heroism  reacheil  New  York,  and  tlu;  l.ife-Savint;-  Association  decorated 
Mrs.  Becker  with  their  l;oK1  meelal,  taking-,  in  lieu  of  the  usual  written  acknowletlu;- 
inent, "-which  the  heroine  could  not  write, — a  |)hoto^raph  showini^-  the  medal  in  her 
hand.  Abi_i^ail  Becker  now  became  the  theme  of  .\merican  newspapers  and  mana/ines. 
All   this    to  the    unspeakable    wonderment    of    the    simple-miiuletl,   blue-e)ed    woman    her- 


A    sioioi    OX    i,.\Ki':    Ki^^n-:. 


io8 


OUR  PICTL  'R  ESQ  Hi 


self,  wild,  in  luT  stcrliiii^,  if 
nidi'-coincil,  Iviii^lish,  in;iint;iin- 
v(\  to  thf  last,  "she  ilid  no 
niorc'n  shc'il  ou^lil  to.  wk^ 
niorr'n   slu-'il  do   ai^ain." 

I'dr  ihc  present,  leaxiiit; 
the  lake-shore,  we  strike  inhunl 
1)\'  that  l)rancli  of  the  (irand 
'I'runk  wliich,  start  int^  from 
I'ort  I  )o\'er,  passes  throus^li 
the  conntv  towns  of  Norfolk, 
Oxford,  antl  I'ertii.  th<'n  through 
Idstowel,  I'alnierston,  Harris- 
ton,  and  so  on  to  W'iarton  on 
("ieor:_;ian  Haw  At  the  out- 
set we  keep  the  !,\llil  close 
on      our      i'i.i;ht,     hut      presenth' 

the  ri\('r  heconies  so  enlani^letl  in  the  railroad  tliat  we  cross  tour  hridi^es  in 
two  and  a  half  miles.  Cutting'  across  tlu;  corner  of  the  Xorlolk  Ai^riciiltural  .Society's 
!_;rounds.  we  enter  .Slmcoe.  As  the  train  rolls  thi-ouL;h  the  town  we  oht.iin  p.issinL;' 
views    of    the     ]\i\er     l.\nn,    with    its    hroad     mill-ponds,     of    the    C"ount\-     Huildinos,    and 


A    K(i.\i>snii'.    SKI  1  en. 


THRESHINC;    BY     HOKSI'.-I'OWI  ;K. 


U^ 


\() A' ////■: AW   \A:i(,iinoR 


!()() 


of  the  I'liioii  Scliool.  The  town  owes  its  origin  as  well  as  its  name  to  tlic  \Isit 
ol  (io\(i'iior  Siiiu'oc  in  i  7()5.  1  hen-  is  a  local  tradition  that  Aaron  COUcr.  one  ol 
tli<'  \orlolk  pioneers,  ollcrcil  loi'  his  I'lxccllciU") 's  arccplancc  a  haskcl  ol  w  atcr-niclons  ; 
and  lli.it  Siincoc  marked  his  hii^h  ollieial  approxal  ol  the  limit  1)\  hestowinL;  on  the  donor 
the  hest  ini!l-site  on  the  L\iin.  W'e  are  now  in  the  land  of  hi^h  fanning.  I'he 
A'^rii  ullnral  and  Arts  Association  ol  Ontario  has  ol  late  mmi's  heen  ollerin;^  a  i^old 
inedal  lor  the  farm  which  will  stand  luL^lu'st  on  fifteen  iritii-al  tests  ol  excellenct'.  In 
iSS(\  in  a  t'omix'lilion  ol  nine  I'decloral  l)i\isions,  the  ,L;old  meilal  was  awartied  to  a 
larm  near  Simcoe  ;  in  i  SS  i  the  competition  coxcretl  six  lar^c  I'dectoral  l)i\isions,  aiul 
tlu;  ^old  meilal  was  won  l)\-  a  farm  near  Woodstock.  Ihe  network  ol  railwa\s  now 
c(i\erin]^  the  Count\  of  Norfolk  has  created  I'.xcelleiU  markets  lor  its  tarmers  at 
Simcoe,    I'ort    l)o\er,   and    W  aterlord. 

We  enter  Oxiord  Counl\'  through  the  "  Onharil  Township  '  ol  Norwich.  .\s  we 
approach  Xorwicluille  in  this  time  of  fruit  harvest,  and  see  those  fair  daughters  ol  the 
West  amoiiL;'  tlu;  ^oKlen  apples  and  NcllowiiiL;'  pears,  we  seem  to  ha\t'  loiind  the  lonj^' 
soni^lu     (lardens     of     the      i  lesperiiles.  Hut     the     (iolden      Kussets     and     the     Memish 

lieauties  are  guarded  l)\  no  drai^on  ;  here  all  are  I'rieiuls.  The  orcharddiarx est  is 
now  in  lull  i:areer.  The  demands  of  Canada  and  the  Iniled  .Stales  are  to  he  sup- 
plied; then  some  ol  the  choicest  fruit  will  ^race  the  winl(;r  sicU'lioards  in  the  stateU' 
homes  ol  I'ln^land  ;  the  rest  will  l;(>  to  the  cannim;  lactor\  at  ()tter\ille,  or  to  the 
evapor.itors  at  Xorwichx  ille,  I'ilsonhurL;,  and  Woodstock.  The  numerous  milk-stands 
l)\  the  roailsitle  remind  us  that,  in  i  S04,  under  the  L;iiiil.mie  ol  llar\c\'  I'arrin^ton, 
this  township  knl  the  wa\  to  Canadian  cheese-fai'tories,  which  ha\(,'  heconu;  a  special 
industry   ol    Oxioril,    with    liiofrsoll   as   the   oreal    cheese   market. 

Almost  helore  we  are  aware,  the  train  howls  into  Wootlstock.  We  notiit,'  on  tlu; 
ri^ht  a  stately  pile  of  buildings  tK,'vol(.'tl  to  the  Woodstock  College.  Mere,  m.iny  years 
ai^o,  .111  interestiu!..;'  xent'irt'  in  the  higher  co-education  of  the  sex(.;s  was  made,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Baptist  Church,  hy  the  late  Dr.  lAle  ;  and,  with  their  satisfactory  ex- 
|icrieiux;  of  the  system,  the  lolle^c  authorities  are  now  more  conlident  than  ever  in 
its  soundness.  I)_\-  the  ^ift  of  Mc.Master  llall,  Toronto,  the  Theological  Tacult)'  has 
heen  enabled  to  assume  a  distinct  existence',  and,  as  was  anticipated  by  the  generous 
donor  himsell,  -this  st^paration  of  functions  has  thrown  fresh  \ii.^()ur  into  the  Liter 
ary  I'acnity  at  Woodstock,  as  well  as  into  the  Theolooical  I'aculty  at  Toronto. 
Ali!.;htin^  at  the  railway  station,  aiul  sauntta-in^'  a  block  northwards,  we  aie  L;ratitied 
to  met't  our  old  militar\-  friend,  Uundas  .Street,  which,  after  leaxiiii;  Toronto,  we 
lound  at  the  Credit  River,  aiul  then  uiult'r  the  (xlias  of  the  "' ( "loxcrnor's  Koad  "'  \\v.  saw 
at  Duiulas,  and  soon  after  at  the  .\::;ricultural  CoU-'l^c,  (liielph.  The  street  will  yet 
'(■a|>pear  as  the  main  artery  of  London,  just  as  it  is  here  the  main  arter)-  of  Wood- 
stock.      The   old   homi'steads  at    tlu'   east   eiul  of    the   town   call    up   mingled   associations  : 


I  lO 


LH/^    PlCrrRlwSOl'F. 


the  house  and  ijrouiKls  i)f  1  )r  HlacHiuicrcs,  shailutl  by  trees  of  the  ancient  foresl. 
the  rectory  of  Canon  lieltiM-i(l,i;c,  and,  near  l)y.  Old  St.  Paul's,  that  lono-  listened 
to  his  elo(|uent  ami  scholarK'  discourses;  then,  farther  hack,  the  home  of  Admiral  Drew, 
once  the  dare-devil  Ca|)tain  Drew  of  the  Caroline  enterprise.  In  the  central  i)oi-tion  ol 
Dundas  Street  the  eve  is  caught  hy  the  graceful  architecture  of  New  St.  Paul's.  'I  he 
interior  is    in   i)leasin<4-  harmony.       <  )ri;an   practice   is  procei'dim^',   antl    wt:    liji>;-er    to    hear 


" 'I'lio  >t(irm   llu'ir   lu:-li-liiull   ori^^n-  iii.iki.-, 
Ami   tliiiiiilci-uiu^ic   iiiUiiiL;  >haUu 
Tlie  iirn|ilu'ts   lila/iiiK-d   on   llu'   luiiR--." 

On  the  stri'ets  to  the  ri'ar,  wc;  ha\-e  a  succession  of  solid  structures:  the  Count)' 
lUiildinj^s,  the  lar,m'  church  of  the  Methodists,  the  Central  and  llii^h  Schools.  Look- 
\w'^  askance  at  Xi'w  St.  i'aul's  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  is  a  tine  temple  to 
the  i'otUless  Moneta,  whose;  worship  has  somehow  everywhere  sur\ived  the  o-eneral 
crash  of  ancient  nntholo,!^^)-.  And  beside  the  Imperial  liank  is  the  Market,  which 
to-dav  tempts  us  with  the  rich  products  of  O.xford  helds,  j^ardens,  (Orchards,  ami  dairies; 
while  oviM-  a-^ainst  the  market  arc;  crowded  stores, — altooethi'r  a  tieUl  day  for  O.xford 
farmers  and  Woodstock  merchants.  The  street  tratlic  is  swelled  by  heavy  wains  ot 
homed)uild,  bearini,^  away  to  the  various  railway  stiitions  the  manulactures  ot  the 
town  ;  -reed  oruans ;  furnitun'  in  cane  as  well  as  in  beautiful  nali\c  woods;  and  then 
a  miscellaneous  calaloi^ue  of  products  which  recpiirc;  some  classification,  or  we  are- 
apt    to    fall    into    such    incongruities    as   tweecls  and    barbed    wire,   soap    and    tlour.   leather 

antl  cheese. 

A  few  paces  westward  of  the  market  we  n-ach  a  tine  avenue  132  feel  broad, 
shaded  on  l)oth  sides  with  double  rows  of  trees.  It  is  named  after  the  eccentric 
old  .\dmiral  whose  forest  Chateau  lay  a  few  miles  east  of  Woodstock,  and  yielded 
Mrs.  Jameson,  in  iS;,;,  one  of  the  liveliest  sketches  in  "  Winter  Studies  and  Snnnner 
Randdesi'  Mrs.  Jameson  was  staying-  with  a  family  in  lUandlord,  near  Woodstock, 
which    was    then,   she     tells    us,    "  last     rising-     into     an     imi>ortaiU     town."      "  (  )ne  da\     we 

tlrove    over    to    the    settlement    of    one    of    these    ma^nilicos,     .\dmiral     \ ,    who   has 

already  expended  upwards  of  twenty  thousantl  pounds  in  purchases  and  improvements, 
liis  house  is  ntally  a  curiosity,  and  at  tlu;  first  -lance  reminded  me  of  an  .\frican 
villa'.^n'  -a  sort  of  Timbuctoo  set  down  in  the  woods:  it  is  two  or  three  miles  trom 
the  hiiih  road,  in  the  midst  of  tlu;  forest,  and  looked  as  if  a  number  of  lo^duits 
h,ad  jostled  a.i^^ainst  each  other  by  accident,  and  there  stuck  last.  The  .Xdmiral  had 
beL;un,  1  ima<,nnc.  by  erecting;-  as  is  usual  a  loL^-house  while  the  woods  were  ilearino  ; 
then,  beim,^  in  want  of  space,  he  added  another,  then  another  and  another,  and 
so  on,  all  of  different  shapes  and  sizes,  and  full  of  a  seaman's  contrivances  odd 
naileries,    passages,    jjorticos,    corridors,     saloons,    cabins,    and     cupboards;     so    that    if    the 


NOR  rHI-RX  NIUGIIIH )  A' 


III 


M'W   ST.    I'.M'I,  S    cmRCII, 
\\  (  K  II  IS  !'(  i(   K. 

milsidc  rcinimlcd  nic 
of  an  African  xilla^c, 
the  interior  was  no 
less  like  tliat  of  a 
man-of-war.  The  draw- 
iiii^-rooni,  which  occu- 
pics  an  entire  luiiKl- 
iiiL;.  is  really  a  noble 
loom,   with    a    chimney 


^^iiVvi^, 


A     FARM     ()\      lilt;    OXIOkl)    Sl.Ol'K. 


112  or/^  rirri'Ri'.snrr. 

in    which    they     pilr    iwcnl)     oak    h),iis    at   once.      Arouiul    this    room    runs  a   i^allcry,    well 
hi^huil    with    windows    from    williout,    throiii^^h    which    then:     is    a     constant    circulation    of 
air,    kccpiiiL;    the    room    warm    in    winter    aiul    cool     in     summer.       'The   Admiral    has    l)e- 
sides  so   main    ingenious  and    ine\i)lical)le  contri\ances  [w   warming-  and   airing   his  house, 
that     no     insurance    office     will      insure    him     on     any     terms.       Alto,t,a:ther     it      was     tin; 
most     straiij^-el)      picturesiiue     sort     of    dwi'lliii;^     1     ever     heluld,     and     could     boast      not 
onlv     of     luxuries     antl     comforts,     such     as    ar(;    seldom     fouml     inland,    hut    '  losa    allra 
f^iii     lai-ih'    or    at    least     '/>///     riira.'       'I'lu-      .Admiral's     sister,    an     accomplished     woman 
of     indi'pendent     fortime,     has     latc:l\      arrived      from     luirope,      to     take     up     her     resi- 
dence   in    the    wilds.        llaxini;    rect'nth'    spent     some     )ears     in     Ital)',    she     has    brouL^ht 
out     with      her     all      those     pretty     objects     of      :/r/ii      with     which      l^njj^lish      travellers 
load    themseK'es    in     that     countr).      Here,    ranj^etl     rountl    the     room,    1     found    views    of 
i\ome    anil    Naples;     /azzi    and     marl)les,    and    sculi)turc:    in    la\a  or    alabaster;    miniature 
copies    of    the    eternal    Sibyl    and    Cenci,    Raffaellc's    X'atican,    <^c.,  -  thin,L,^s    not    wonderful 
nor  rare    in    themsehi's, — the    wondi-r    was    to    see    them     here."        The    lad)'   referred    to 
was    Mrs.    J'^ast,    in    whose    honour    Mastwood    xilla^'e    was    afterwartls    named. 

Woodstock  is  now  one  of  the  towns  most  faxoured  with  railwavs.  With  these 
manifold  temptations  to  luxurious  travel  contrast  the  roads  oxer  which  Mrs.  Jameson 
toiled  less  than  half  a  century  a^o.  "  The  roatls  wi're  throughout  so  e.xecrably  l)ad, 
that  no  words  can  j.;ive  you  an  idea  of  them.  W'e  often  sank  into  mud-holes  above 
the  axle-tree  ;  then  over  trunks  of  trees  laid  across  swamps,  called  here  corduroy 
roads,  were  my  poor  bones  dislocated.  .A  wheel  heri;  and  there,  or  broken  shaft 
biuL;  bv  the  wa\-side.  told  of  former  wrecks  ami  disasters.  In  somi:  places  they 
had,  in  desperation,  \\u\v^  lari^e  boughs  of  oak  into  the  mud  al)\ss,  and  covered  them 
with  clay  and  sod,  thi:  rich  orct-n  foliage  projectinL;"  on  either  side.  This  sort  of 
illusive  contri\ance  would  soim:times  ^ive  wa\-,  and  we  were  nearh'  precipitattnl  in  the 
mitlst.  H\- ■  the  time  we  arri\t'd  at  IMandfortl,  my  hantls  were  swelletl  anil  blistered 
b\-  continuall)-  i^n'aspin^-  with  all  ni)-  streiii^th  an  iron  bar  in  front  of  my  vehicle,  to 
prevent  myself  from  bein,^-  iluni^-  out,  and  nn-  limbs  ached  dreadfully.  1  never  be- 
held   or    imaj^ined    such     roads." 

Hut  after  all,  the  scener\-  amply  consoled  this  literar\-  artist.  The  forest,  "  lit 
uj)  with  a  changeful,  magical  beauty,"  the  birds,  the  way-side  (lowers,  were  continually 
detaining  her,  and  retarding  the  already  slow  wagon.  iler  American  landlord  at 
Hrantford  had  kindly  volunteered  to  see  her  safely  to  Woodstock.  "  I  observed  some 
birds  of  a  species  new  to  me  ;  there  was  the  lo\cl\-  blue-bird,  with  its  brilliant  violet 
plumage  ;  and  a  most  gorgeous  species  of  woodpecker,  with  a  black  head,  white  breast, 
anil  back  and  wings  of  the  brightest  scarlet  ;  hence  it  is  called  by  some  tin?  Jicld- 
ofjliccr.  and,  more  generally,  the  coik  of  the  loooHs.  I  should  ha\e  called  it  the  cox- 
comb  of  the   loooa's,    for    it    came    Hitting    across    our    road,    clinging    to    the    trees    before 


A'OR  T/fERiV  NRKillin  )A' 


I  I  1 


,^.^^--"«  i-^^^    ^ 


»y<«5i 


US,  iinil  nniaiiiinjj^  pcrtinac Oii.ly  in  sit^lit,  as  if  conscious  of  its  own  splendid  array, 
and  plcasc'd  to  he  admir(  d.  There  was  also  tlie  Canadian  roi)in,  a  bird  as  lar^e 
as  a  thrush,  hut  in  plumatfc  and  shapi;  resemhUnj^  the  sweet  bird  at  home  '  that 
wears  the  scarlet  stomach(  r.'  There  wer(.'  threat  numbers  of  small  birds  of  a  briL,dit 
\clIow,  like  canaries,  and  1  believe  of  the  same  i^eiius.  Sometimes,  when  I  looked 
up  from  thv'  depth  of  loliaL:;;e  to  the  bhu;  firmanuMit  above,  I  saw  the  eat^le  sailintic 
through  the  air  on  apparentb'  motionless  win^s.  Nor  let  me  fortret  the  splendour 
of  the  llowers  which  carpc'ted  the  woods  on  either  side.  I  mii^ht  have  exclaimed 
with    Hichendorff  : 

'  ()    Well  !     Dii    M-hrmc    W'ult,    Dii  I 
MauM    sivhl     l)iili    \iir    lilijnici)    l;niim  !' — 

for    ih.us   in    sf)me  ])laces  did   a    i  ich    embroidc;r(nl  pall    of    llowers  literally  liidc  the   earth. 

There    those   beautiful   jjlants  which  we  cultivate;  with    such  care    in  our   L,^ardens, — azalias, 

rhodotlendrons,    all    the     i^or^cous     famil)'    of    tin;    lobelia, — wen;    llourishini;    in    wild    lux- 

lu-iance.  TY'stoons  of 
creeping-  and  parasitic 
plants  h  u  n  u-  from 
branch  to  branch. 
The  purple  and  scar- 
let iris  ;  llu'  blue  lark- 
spur, and  th(;  ele- 
g;inL  Canadian  colum- 
bine with  its  brij^ht 
pink  llowers ;  the  scar- 
let l_\-chnis,  a  species  of 
orchis  ol  the  most  ilaz- 
7. 1  i  n  t^'  i^cranium-colour  ; 
and  the  whitt'  m'A  \el- 
low  and  purple  (\pripe- 
dium  bordei'ed  the  path, 
anil  a  thousaiul  others 
of  most  resplentient  hues 
for  which  1  knew  no 
names.  1       could      not 

pass  them  with  lor- 
bearance,  and  iii)-  dri- 
"ir,  ali>rhtino-.  gathered  for  me  a  superb  bouquet  from  the  swampy  margin  of  the 
'"rest.  I  contri\-ed  to  fasten  m\  llowers  in  a  wreath  alon^-  the  front  of  the  wagon, 
'hat     1     might    enjoy    at     leisure   their    novelty    and    beauty." 


■^'r>*ri\u\lc\l - 


lilt.     WA  I  I- KINO     l'l,A(  K. 


114 


O  L  rR   PICTURESQ  i  li 


Such,  fifty  years  aj^o,  was  the  vestibule  of  the  Thames  X'alley.  Hut,  Hke  the 
venerable  cathedrals  of  l-'lanclers,  the  finest  of  our  okl  forest-minsters  wen;  swept 
by  the  axe  of  the  iconoclast.  The  I'lemish 
imajj^e-breakers  at  St.  Omer's  and  Antwerp 
slashed  the  pictures,  but  spared  the  build- 
ings. Our  iconoclasts  slashed  the  picturi's, 
and  razed  to  the  earth  the  noblest  of  our 
forest  sanctuaries.  Nave,  aisles,  and  spire 
fell  before  the  axe  of  the  pioneer  and  the 
lumberman.  And  to  the  axe  was  often 
added  tlu'  torch  :  so  that  even  the  beau- 
tiful mosaic  lloors  were  destroyed  ;  for  the 
mould  itself  antl  the  exquisite  native  flora 
that  it  held  were  burnt  up.  The  grand- 
sons of  our  iconoclasts  are  now  anxiously 
bethinkiiiL;'  themseKcs  how  to  recox'er  those 
majestic  wootls,  and  realtorest  the  ri\-er- 
b:uiks  ami  hill-sides;  it  would  surely  also  \iv. 
well  to  tr\'  wlu'lher  those  sweet  wild-tlowers 
cannot  be  charnutl  back.  A  {v\\  braids  of 
barbetl  wiri'  carrietl  around  bits  of  wild 
wood  miL;ht.  by  excluding;'  cattle,  restore 
till'    lost    llora. 

To  tlu'  impressi\-e  forest  scener\-  of  the 
elder  tim(,'  have  succeeded  sunny  pastoral 
landscapes.  The      labyrinthine      CluUcaii     ot 

X'ansittart  would  now  be  as  dithcult  to  find 
as  would  tlu-  bower  of  bair  Rosamond  b)' 
the  older  Woodstock;  the  Admiral's  tle- 
mesne  is  now  a  famous  breeder  of  race- 
horses. On  the  u|)lands  of  BlandfortI  we 
stand     on     the    narrow    brim    that    dixides    the 

basin  of  the  (irand  Rixcr  from  the  basin  of  the  Thames.  Hastward,  the  streams 
course  swiftly  towartls  Lake  V.nv.  Westward  is  a  «,rentl(;  slope  extentlin<;  tar  beyond 
(•\c-sht)t,  and  finally  losins^'  itself  in  the  champaign  countr\'  that  is  watend  by  the 
Lower  Thames  and  the  .Sydenham.  \'on  favoured  land  is  the;  Thessaly  of  ( )Kler 
Canada ;  a  land  covered  with  a  net-work  of  rivers  and  ri\iilets,  which  tra\ erst;  a  rich, 
deep  soil;  a  land  well  dowered  with  sleek  kine  and  swift  steeds.  "Nurse  of  heroes?" 
Yes ;     if    in    the     prehistoric     times     the    leaders    at    the    council-fire    or    on     the    war-path 


WOODl.AN  1)      M.OWKKS. 


J 


NORTH  URN  NEIGH  IH)R  115 

were  of  the  same  inettlc  as  tlu-  cliiefs  that  fout^^ht  cither  a_t,rainst  us  or  for  us 
Within  this  western  tract  of  Ontario  we  shall  lind  the  home  of  I'ontiac.  We  shall 
tinil  also  the  tield  where  Tecumseh  stood  at  hay  when  an  I^nj^lish  Ljeneral  ran  like 
a  fawn.  Spear  for  spear,  either  of  those  Indian  chiefs  would  have  proved  no  mean 
antagonist  for  the  ,i;reatest  of  ancient  Thessalians. — the  mij^dity  Achilles  himself, — and 
they    had    the    merit    of    titrhtinj^    in    a    worthier   cause. 

In  its  upper  course  the  Thames  hums  its  way  o\-er  the  [jehhles  as  it  winds  through 
the  O.xford  glens.  it  crosses  Dundas  Street  a  littU;  to  the  west  of  Woodstock  ;  then 
amidst  some  sweet  scener\-  it  passes  Beachville  ami  ent(;rs  Ingersoll.  The  channel 
passes  through  the  \ery  heart  of  the  town  between  hill  terraces  which  are  crowned  with 
pretty  villas.  The  slumberous  stillness  of  the  ri\er  contrasts  with  bustle  of  th(;  cheese- 
fairs  and  with  the  clangour  of  the  great  implement-factor)-  that  skirts  the  water.  Onward 
to  London,  where  it  receives  an  aftluent  from  the  north,  forming  the  "  r|)per  b'orks" 
of  ))ioneer  times.  The  Thames  \'alley  abox'e  London  affords  ri\er  \iews  of  great 
bcaulN'.  Three  miles  below  the  citv,  .Spriiigbank  forms  a  favourite  holidax'  resort,  with 
most  picturescjue  approach,  whelhcr  we  reach  it  b\'  the  road  or  the  ri\'er.  Here  the 
high  bank  takes  its  name  from  an  exhaustless  fountain  of  pure  cold  water,  which  is 
raiseil  to  tlu^  rest'rvoir  on  the  hills,  and  supplies  the  distant  cit\-.  The  I'hames 
presenth'  enters  the;  reserves  of  the  I  )ela\\  ares  and  the  Munce\'  Indians,  tJieii  glitles 
softK'  past  the  battle-ground  ot  old  Moi-;i\ian-T(i\\  11  and  thence  onwartis  to  Chatham,  • 
where  it  is  joined  b\-  Mcliregor's  Creek,  forming  the  "Lower  bOrks."  L\cn  at 
London  the  river  cri'e])s  with  a  drowsy  motion,  but  below  Chatham,  bather  Thames 
has  fallen  into  a  deep  sleep,  his  bosom  scarcely  heaving  with  an  undulation.  In  this 
state  of  euthanasia  he'  passes  gentU'  away  ami  joins  the  ceruU'an  "  Saintc-  Claire." 
l)Ut  lor  the  discoloration  of  the  blue  lake,  it  would  be  ditlicult  to  deti'ct  the  eiUrv 
of  the  river.  |olliet  sailed  down  tin:  lake  in  1660.  and  (laliiiee  asci'iided  it  in  the 
following  Near,  but  neither  suspecteil  the  existence  ol  a  large  river.  In  1744,  N. 
Hellin,  the  map-maker  to  Louis  X\  .'s  Department  of  Marine,  inlorms  us  that  the  river 
had  been  explored  for  eightv  leagues  without  the  obstacle  ot  a  rapid.  The  'Thames  hail 
not  then  oblaini'd  a  name,  but  soon  afterwards  the  still  water  seems  to  have  suggest<'d 
the  name  of  "  The  Moat," — La  Trauclicc,  which  ])resently  bt-cauK;  La  7'rai/(//(\  imder 
the  same  process  that  converted  Sa/'ufr  C7a/rc  into  "Saint  Clair,"  ami  /.ac  Jim-  into 
■'  Lake  T^rie."  (iovernor  .Simcoe's  Proclamation  of  July  16.  1 7c)2,  which  wouKl  fain 
have  convert(,'d  La  iirainii'  L'livicrc  into  "'The  Ouse."  permanentiv  transformed  La 
rramlic    into    "  'The     Thames." 

In  this  topographical  edict  the  Governor  parcelled  out  his  new  Province  into 
nineteen  counties,  ami  as  the  heart  of  tht;  Western  Peninsula  was  still  to  English- 
men an  almost  unknown  land,  he  would  walk  over  the  groimd,  ami  see  it  for  him- 
self.    Setting  out    from    Navy    Llall,  Niagara,  in   the  dead   of  winter,    1793,  he   drove  with 


ii6 


0(  A'    /'/(  '/'(  7k'/:S(>(  ■/;■ 


w- 

St 

ft 


...4.'^'i'}|* 

mSk 

^1 


ON    Tin:    TH.\M];S. 


.\V>A' /■///:■  A'. \-    XI-ICIIIU^R 


I  \ 


six  militars  oKiicrs  to  tin; 
I'ortx -iiiilf  Creek.  AiiKniLi 
his  conipanions  were  Majoi' 
I  .ittleh.lles  and  1  .iellteiiaiU 
Tailiot,  hdlli  in  the  lliish 
oi  niaiihnoil  ami  ea^'er  lor 
aiUeiuure  in  the  western 
wilds.  These  \nim:_;  ()iric<'rs 
were  soon  to  l;e  se|  laiMI  ed, 
Aw\  their  paths  in  lili'  I  heiice- 
lorwani  witleh'  (li\ero(i|. 
Maior  Liitlehales  was  now 
Sinicoe's  Militar\'  Se(  retar\', 
and  nideed  iiis  .'~>errelar\  of 
.^lalc  ;    after      obiainiiiL:      his 


. \m^^^'''''W^'^^W^^'s^^  ■■'"■■■ 


arnu'  jironiotion.  he 
received     ,i      liai'oilet- 

cy,  and  tor  niL^h  a 
scori'  ol  \ears  was 
I  \\(\r\-  .S(irciar\  lor 
Ireland.  Of  I'alhol 
we  sh.ill  hear  more 
anon:  tor  the  pres- 
ent let  it  sultu'e  to 
sa)  thai  he  was  now 
S  i  in  t  o  e  '  s  Pri\  ate 
Secretarx'    and     most 


Till-:    iii\Mi:s  \  At  1  t:x',    laiow    ioxdox. 


iis  OCR  rici  I  Ki-soii-: 

conlklcntial  finoN  ;  that  after  service  in  I'landers,  where  he  won  his  colonelcy,  he  sold 
his  commission  and  returned  to  the  Canadian  forest, — there  to  hecome  tin-  builder 
of  the  ]L,^reat  Talbot  hiijhua),  an  eccentric  recluse,  tlu-  |)atriarch  of  some  twenty-eitfht 
to\vnshi|js,  and  the  tutelary  saint  ol  St.  1  homas.  The  ( "io\-ernor's  I'xpeilition  to  the 
Western  frontii;r  was  to  jiroxc  ol  tlu-  tirst  conse(|uence  to  the  Province- ;  antl  fortunately 
a  \W\v\  Joitnuil  in  Littlehak-s'  writini,^  has  surviv(-d.  It  was  printc-d  in  the  Canadian 
l.ilcrary  Mat^azinc  of  Ma\,  iS_^4;  aiul  it  was  rc-printi^il  in  i.S()i  in  tin-  columns  of 
sonu-  new'spapers  ;  but  has  aj^ain  bt-comt;  scarce  and  inaccessibU-.  ( )n  reaching-  the 
l*"orty-mile  Crt-(-k,  Simcoe's  part\-  climbed  the  Mountain  and  then  struck  across  the 
country  for  the-  (irand  Rixcr,  where-  the-  wa\farers  were  entcrtainc-il  at  the  Ni-lles' 
hom(-st(-ad.  Tlu-n  ascending-  the  river,  the  ("io\(-rnor  was  rec(.-i\(-d  at  the  Mohawk  \'il- 
la^e  with  a  J\n  dc  joic.  Resting'  at  the  \illai4e  lor  \.\\xv.v  days.  Simcoe  and  his  suite 
attend(-il  service-  in  the  old  church  that  \vt:  saw  at  the  rivt-r-sicU-,  and  were  much 
pleased  with  tlu-  soft,  mc-lodious  voicc-s  of  tlu-  xoun^'  scpiaws.  Reinforced  b)-  Brant  and 
a  dozen  Indians,  the  expedition  iu)w  crossecl  the  water-shed  aiul  descended  the  Thames 
X'alley.  Wintt-r  though  it  was,  Simcoe  \vas  profoundK"  impresseil  by  the  magnificent 
landscape    of    ri\(-r,    aiul    plain,    anil    woodlanil,    that    opened    out    before    him. 

No  surveyor's  chain  had  yet  clinked  in  these  solitudes.  Tlu-  remains  of  beaver- 
dams,  recently  despoileil,  were  to  be  seen  on  the  streams.  Tlu-  occasional  visitants 
were  Indian  sportsnu-n,  who  could  doubtless  ha\e  explaineil  the  painted  hiero}^l)-phs 
on  the  tri-es  that  so  int(,;rested  Simcoe's  officers;  then  tht-re  were  tlu-  half-Indian, 
half-satyr  kindred  who  trappc-d  tlu.-  fur-coate-d  animals,  and  clothed  themselves  with 
some  of  the  spckls ;  and  there  was  the  winter  courier  bearing-  des|)atches  from  Kinj.,rs- 
ton  to  T\)rt  Detroit;  and  last  anil  rarest  of  all,  you  mi(.,dit  happen  on  the  extinct 
camp-fire  of  some  younnr  explorer  like  Lord  lulward  FitzgeraUl,  alread)-  heart-sore  with 
disappointment,  and  pininj^  for  woodland  life  and  adventure.  'That  romantic  youno- 
nobleman, — ^the  fifth  son  of  the  first  Duke  of  Leinster  and  (jf  ancient  Norman-Irish 
lineaiije, — had  served  with  distinction  as  Lord  Rawdon's  aide-docamp  towards  the  close 
of  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  was  severely  wounded  at  the  battle:  of  luitaw  Sprin_L,''s. 
He  was  found  on  the  field,  insensible,  by  a  poor  ne^'ro  who  bore  him  away  on  his 
back  to  his  hut,  and  there  with  the  most  tender  care  nursed  him  until  he  coukl 
with  safety  be  removed  to  Charleston.  The  "faithful  Tony"  was  thereafter  his  in- 
separable companion,  on  sea  ami  on  land,  throus^h  trackless  Canadian  forests  and 
whithersoever  else  a  fearless  spirit  mi>,dit  lead,  until  an  awful  tray^edy  closed  his  mas- 
ter's career.  After  sonu;  experience  of  the  Irish  Commons  and  of  European  travel, 
Lord  Edward  met  with  a  cruel  disappointment  in  love-,  and  thouL,di  "Uncle  Rich- 
mond,"— who  was  also  the  uncle  of  our  Duke  of  Richnu)nd, — pleaded  his  cause,  the 
father  of  his  luaniorata  continued  obdurate.  'Truth  to  .say,  the  lady  herself  prov(;d 
heartless ;    and    the    whole    story  reads  like  the  orii,dnal    of   Locksky   Hall.      He   was   off, 


X()A''/7//:A'.\'   MiliilinOR  no 

without  even  his  mother's  knowkidj^fc,  to  join  his  rci^nincnt  ;it  St.  John's,  New  Hnuis- 
wiik.  lie  hiKl  a  major's  commission  in  the  54th,  as  WiMiam  Col)b('tt,  tiuii  scrv- 
injf  in  Nova  Scotia  as  scrLjfant-major,  ever  !L;ral(liilly  rcmcmljcnd,  for  Major  litzj^erald 
oiitaint'd  the  fiiliirc  an'itator's  disciiarLje.  Lord  1  )orchesti'r,  ( iovcrnor-(»ent;ral  and  Com- 
inandcr-in-C'hicf  of  ijic  l-Orces,  had  been  an  old  aihiiirer  of  tiic  1  )iich(,'ss  of  I.cin- 
slcr,  and  nalurall)  indulged  Ikm"  son  in  his  passion  for  adventure.  The  tirst  e.xciir- 
sion  was  a  tramp  on  snow-shoes  ol  a  luuuhHtd  and  sevenlj'-ln'i;  miU-s  Irom  I'reil- 
erickton  to  Oiiehec  tiiroii^h  a  trackless  wililerness.  Then  westward.  I  luier  the  L;Miil- 
aiii  r  of  iirant,  -for  whom  he  had  conceivi-d  the  warmest  admiration  antl  fricMidship,  - 
Lord  I'^dward  traxcrsed  the  Western  I'eninsula,  xisilin^;'  tin-  Mohawk  Xillauje,  anil  e.\- 
plorint;  the  Ihames  X'alley  hy  the  same  Lnliaii  trail  o\er  which  Hrant  was  now 
K^ailin^'  (jovt^rnor  .Simcoe.  After  leaving  at  I'Ort  l)elroit  the  relief  party  of  which 
lie  was  in  charL,'^i',  .Major  I'itZLjcrald  would  |)r()ceed  to  I'Ort  Michilimackinac  and  then 
strike  awa\'  for  tlut  Mississippi,  desceiulinn'  which  to  New  Orleans  he  would  hurr\' 
home  to  see  tin;  fair  one  on  whom  he  so  often  and  fonilly  mused  while  far  away 
in  these  Canailian  forests.  Hut  on  reachini:^  the  Duke  of  Leinster's  residence  he  would 
lind  a  i^ranil  entertainment  in  full  career,  and  amonsj;  the  >,aiests  whom  etiquette  re- 
(juired    to    he    in\ited    he    wouKl    find    the    fair    ( i and   her    Inisbixtni ! 

On  the  12th  I"el)ruar\',  1  jg.v  .Simcoe  came  upon  one  of  pf)or  Lord  luKvard's  en- 
campments near  the  Thames.  Three  years  a<.(o  this  ill-fated  nobleman  had  returned 
to  Irelaiul,  there;  to  dash  into  the  i)olitical  maelstrom,  to  (juicken  the;  dizzy  movement 
in  the  Irish  Commons,  to  become  President  of  the  United  Irishmen,  and,  while  des- 
perately resistinor  arrest,  to  fall  mortally  wounded,  and  to  die  a  prisoner  in  Dublin 
Castle.  He  was  so  fortunate  as  to  have  'Thomas  Moore  for  his  bio^rrapher.  Probably 
his  hero's  adventures  in  Canada  su^rtj^ested  to  the  poet  his  own  Canadian  tour  in 
i(So4,  and  so  indirectly  yielded  us  the  Canadian  Boat  Song,  The  Woodpecker,  and  the 
poems  written  on   the  St.    Lawrence. 

Before  the  year  1 793  was  out,  the  (^astern  end  ot  the  Thames  Valley  had  been 
plotted  with  townships,  and  substantial  pioneers  had  l)een  imported  from  New  Jersey. 
Thomas  Horner,  of  Hordentown,  led  the  wa\'  into  this  fair  wilderness,  and  arrived  in 
Blenheim  whiU;  AuLjustus  Jones  and  his  Indians  were;  still  surveyintr  it.  Major 
IngersoU  also  arrived  in  1793,  and  occupied  the  tract  on  which  has  since  arisen  the 
town    bearing-    his    name. 

The  main  purpose  of  Governor  Simcoe  in  his  fatitj^uin^'  winter  march,  was  to 
find  an  appropriate  site  for  the  capital  of  Upper  Canada.  Newark  (Nia^u^ara)  was 
too  e.xposed  to  assault ;  the  Toronto  portatje  was  not  yet  thouj^ht  of,  and  when, 
later  in  179,,,  it  was  accepted  as  the  site,  the  Lieutenant-Governor  seems  to  have 
considered  the  transaction  no  more  than  a  temporary  compromise  between  his  proposed 
Geor)j^ina-upon-Thames    and     the    claims    of    Kinji^ston    as    supported    by    the    Governor- 


120  o(/<  ricrrNi-snrh: 

(icntral  Lord  I)(ii\  Iicstcr.  On  the  aftcrnonn  of  W'cdncsda)-  the  tliirlcciuh  of  VvW 
ruary.  ';<);,,  the  cxploriii^;  part)  reached  the  fertile  deUa  that  l.i\  at  the  fonlhiena' 
of  the  north  and  east  l•ralv■he^.  of  the  I'haines.  Here  they  "  hahed  to  oliscrvc 
the  heantilul  situation.  We  passed  some  deep  ia\ines  and  made  om-  uiM\\;,ins  hy 
a  stream  on  tlie  iirow  ol  a  hill,  near  a  spot  where  Indians  wci-e  intei-red  ;  ihe  ImryinL;- 
j.jronnd  was  ot  earth,  neatly  coxcreil  wiih  lea\cs,  and  wickered  o\cr.  .\dioinin14  it 
was  a  larL;-e  pole  with  painted  hieroi^lx  phics  on  it.  denotini^  the  nation.  ti-ilie.  and 
acliie\  cmeiUs  ol  the  deceased,  either  as  chiefs,  warriors,  or  hunters."  Iiom  the 
einineni-e  where  ilie\  |,i\  encamped,  they  could  see  the  <\lended  arms  ol  the  I  hames 
with    their    mniierous    1  rihul.u'ies.  I'o    the    im,iu;in.iti\  e    Indian     ihis    i-i\cr-\iew    sui^ijcsted 

a  L^ij^antii'  elk's  head  and  antlers  with  their  hranches  ,uid  lines;  .md  from  this  fanc\ 
the  river,  Ioul;'  liefor<'  the  entry  of  the  Muropian  into  ihe  \alle\.  was  known  l)\  the 
name    of    .Is-kiiu-c-SiC-lh-       The    .\ntlereil     l\i\er. 

'The  situation  L;i-eatly  impressed  the  (ioxcrnoi-.  After  completing-  his  march  to 
Hetroii.  he  liurriedK  i-eiiirned  to  make  a  more  particular  sin-\-ey,  so  thai  he  was 
here  ai;ain  within  se\-entecn  days  ol  his  lirst  \isit.  I'he  following'  is  the  entr\-  in 
Major  l.ittlehales'  Joiii-iial :  "  jd  |  .March,  1  Ju.i  |.  .Struck  the  I'hames  on  one  einl  ol 
a     low     llat     island.  The     rapidit\      of    the   current     is     so    ^rcai    as     to    ha\c    formed    a 

channel  throui^h  the  mainland  dicing-  a  peninsula),  ,uid  formed  this  island.  We 
walked  o\cr  a  rich  meadow,  and  at  its  extremit)  reached  tlie  forks  of  the  riser.  The 
( iox'ernor  wished  to  examine  this  situation  and  its  environs  and  we  therefore  stopped 
here  a  day.  lie  juileed  it  to  he  a  situation  emineiuK  calculated  for  the  Metropolis 
ol  all  Canada;  arnoiiL;  man\'  other  essentials  it  possesses  the  following;  ,id\anta^es: — 
command  ol  territory,  internal  situation,  central  position,  facility  of  water  comimuii- 
cation  up  and  down  the  Thames,  superior  naxi^alion  for  boats  to  near  its  soiu'ce, 
and  for  small  cralt  prohahl)'  to  the  .Moraxian  Selilement  ;  to  the  northward  l)\'  a 
small  portage  to  the  water  llowini;  into  Lake  lluron.  to  the  south-east  li\  a  larryini; 
place  into  Lake  ( )ntario  and  the  Rixcr  St.  Lawrence;  the  soil  hixuriouslv  fertile 
and  the  land  capable  of  beinn'  casil_\-  cleared  ami  soon  put  into  a  state  of  agriculture, 
a  pinery  upon  an  adjai'ent  hi,i_;h  knoll  and  others  on  the  heii^ht,  well  calculated  for 
the    erection    ol    public    buildini^-s,    and    a    climate     not    inferior    to    an\'    part    of    Canada." 

I)urini4  the  first  two  years  of  .Simcoe's  ailministration  the  continuance  of  peace 
with  the  Uniteil  Stales  seemi'd  \cry  uncertain,  and  \\liile  preparing'  a  teniporar)-  refuL,^' 
for  the  Provincial  Legislature,  the  ( io\-ernor  sleadfastl\-  worked  out  his  scheme  of  the; 
Mein^polis  on  the  Thames.  'The  ri\cr  was  frozen  at  the  time  of  his  visit  <ind  formed 
a  capital  roadwax'  for  the  tlozen  carrioles  that  were  sent  from  I  )etroit  to  nn'et  him  and 
his  suiti;.  As  soon  as  s]jrinL;'  opened,  .Sur\'c?yor  McXilf  was  tIetaiU'd  to  take  sound- 
ings antl  ascertain  whether  navigation  could  be  extended  to  the  L'jfper  T'orks ;  he 
reported    the    river    "([uite    practicable?    with    the    erecticjn     of     one;     or     two     locks."       'To 


N(  )A'  77f/:RX  NliliilllH  )R 


1  21 


'^iiaiil  t'.K'  a|i|ii(iiu  h  Iroin  ilic  wcstcni  Ironlici'  ami  lommaiul  tin-  n.i\  i,L;ati()ii  ol  the  r|)|)cr 
and  Middle  Lakes.  Siincoe  iin)|eiteil  a  ilotkyanl  and  n.i\al  arsenal  at  the  laiwer 
I'ork',,  which  he  had  |)arli(iilarl\  sin-veyed  hntli  on  his  man  li  to  |)eiroit  and  upon  his 
i'<'tin'n.  In  17(15  he  h,id  a  town  plot  siii\e\ed  at  the  Lower  I'orks,  uhiih  ihence- 
lorward    rerei\-ed    the    name    ol    I'haihain,    hnt    sin  h    was    Sinnoe's    enei-L;\,    ih.il    in    1  7()4. 


\ri-T-S,imi.*it.^- 


\Ii   roKIA     I'AKK,     l.oMioN. 


,ind  in  advance  ol  tli"  sur\ey,  he  had  a  (  loxcrnnient  shipyard  established  \\\\k\  l^uh- 
lioats     already     on     the    stocks.  I'he    coniniunication    ol    (ieorL;ina    with     Lake    Ontario 

w.is  to  lie  maintained  l)\-  a  ^real  military  road  -l)Lnidas  Street— with  which  l)\  an- 
licipalioM  we  ha\'e  already  become  lamiliar.  I'his  road  wouKl  run  direct  to  the  na\al 
station    v:-o\ided    l)\'    nature    at    the    head    ol     Lake    (  )nlario,     -the    noble    sheet    of    wat<'r 

I  1 

which  .'.!  ncoe  luul  onl_\'  rei-enll\-  named  i)urlinL^ton  Maw  (_)ne  approach  lo  his  forest 
cit\'  rema;!ied  still  l(j  be  coxcred  :  the  approach  Irom  the  lake  frontier  on  the  south. 
At  the  suL;:4(!stion  of  Lieutenant  Talbot,  ox'er  whom  woodland  lite  was  alreadx'  ,i;'ain- 
iiii,''  a  fascination,  the  ("io\crnor  explored,  in  the  autumn  of  1  Jc)^^.  the  north  shore  ol 
Lake  L'rie.  and  selecU'd  the  site  of  a  earrison  town  near  the  heiidland  which  had  pre- 
■.  iousl\-    l)een    known    as    Poiiitc    a    la    Biclu\    but    which    was    now    named     TurkeN'    Point. 


122  OCR  rim'RF.sQrn 

The  lu'iulhuul  coininanclccl  the  l)ay  ami  roadstead  of  1-onn-  Point,  which  latter  Sinic(H\ 
in  his  ioncliH'ss  for  trans|)lantiiii;  l'".iiL,dish  iianics,  called  North  l''orclaiul.  This  garrison 
town  was  to  ha\c  coinimiiiicalioii  with  the  eastern  frontier  1)\'  a  niilitar)-  road,  and  tlu- 
whole  north  shore  ol  Lake  I'^rie  was  to  i)e  colonized  with  Inile^l  Mnipire  Loyalists 
of  the  most  uncoinpromisinL;'  kind.  In  short,  Siincoe's  design  tor  (ieornina  (London) 
was  to  make  it,  not  onl)-  the  seat  of  y^overnment,  hut  the  niilitar)-  centre  of  the 
l'ro\ince.    and    tlu-    ciMitre    of    material    resources. 

,\11  the  ("io\ernor's  ])re|)arations  wvkv  activel\-  proct'cdino',  when  in  1796  he  was 
une.\i)ecti'dl\'  transferred  from  I'pper  Canada  to  the  West  Indies;  and  on  his  de- 
parturi:  his  plans  fell  into  completi'  disorder.  The  development  of  London,  Chatham, 
antl  indeed  of  the  whole  Thamt's  X'alley  was  arrested  for  an  entire  generation. 
Robert  Ciourlay's  Statistical  . //((V//// — commencetl  in  1S17,  and  publishetl  in  \)>Z2 — 
o"i\es  a  deplorable  picture  of  the  stasji^nation  of  tlu!  Province,  ami  of  the  maladmin- 
istration of  its  public  affairs.  (lourhu  was  himst-lf  a  lar^e  landowner  near  the 
Ihaines,  and  beyontl  the  information  supplied  b\'  township  ineetinj.^s  he  hail  ample 
personal    reasons    tor    understanding;    the    subject. 

We  have  s.-.'en  that  Simcoe's  tirst  thought  in  namini^-  his  capital,  was  to  offer 
a  compliment  to  C'leorj^c  IIL  and  call  the  cit\'  CieorL^ina,  ~a  name  still  pres(M'\(.'d  in 
a  township  on  Lake;  Siincoe.  Hut  this  western  river  had  bi'en  nametl  the  Thames, 
ami  it  seemed  an  obvious  corollar}'  that  the  metro|)olis  on  the  Thames  must  be 
LvMidon.  Then  this  saj.i^acious  Cioxcrnor  felt  how  th(;  old  names  pull  on  om^'s  heart- 
slriui^s,  and  it  was  doubtless  part  of  his  plan  to  charm  l^nq-lishmen  to  his  i'ro\ince 
b\-  the  mere  mastic  of  those  historic  words.  Were  he  now  to  rc-\  isit  this  spot  afttr 
nin(!t\-  years  of  absiMice,  In;  would  be  rejoiced  to  find  that  his  feelin«,^s  luul  been  so 
well  understooil,  and  that  his  Lomloners  had  even  "  bettered  the  instruction."  After 
he  had  LTot  over  the  astonishment  caused  b\'  the  stt;el  roadwa\s,  and  by  the  "  fn'e- 
wai^ons," — as  his  Indians  wouKl  hav<'  promptly  called  the  locomotives,  while  .Simcoe 
was  fumblino-  about  for  a  word, — he  would  tr\'  to  disco\er  in  all  this  marvellous  trans- 
formation the  old  natural  features  of  the  "  I'pper  TOrks."  He  woukl  find  that  the 
rich  alluvial  meatlows  which  he  ])aced  with  his  xouuLi^  officers  havi'  yieldi;d  an  abun- 
dant harvest  of  suburban  villas,  antl  now  bear  the  familiar  names  of  Wi'stminster  and 
Kensim^'-ton.  'To  the  north  he  wouUl  miss  the  billow)'  sea  of  dark  !L,M-een  forest  which 
formed  so  marked  a  feature  in  the:  landscajx'  of  his  da)-  ;  he  would  lind  that  the  shad- 
ow)- aisles  throuj^h  the  "Pineries"  have  been  succeeded  b\  a  iiet-work  of  liiohwaNs 
whose  names  would  startle:  .Simcoe  by  their  very  familiarity, — Bond  .Street,  and  ( ).\ford 
Street  ;  Pall  Mall,  Piccadill)-,  and  Cheapside.  Luleed,  with  the  street  names  before  his 
mind,  and  the  sweet  chimes  of  .St.  Paul's  lin^erini;  in  his  ears,  he  would  often  dre.un  of 
the  ancie'Ut  cit)-  beside  the  older  'Thames.  'The  illusion  would  be  assisted  b)  the  ^reat 
warehouses,  bre-weries,    founelries,    and    factorii:s.       As    Iv  last   knew   this  place,  there  was 


.voA' iiiiiRX  \i-:n;iiiiOK 


lint    \\   ^  i^ii   ol     luiiiian    i)i'(.'scncc    here,    except 


the    IiK  lan    phaiUasms  executed   on   ti\e   trees 

ill  ctiarcoal  and  \ cnnilion,  men  with  deers'  heads,  and  the  rest.  In  his  strt)!!  up 
Riehnionil  Street  he  would  tind  niucli  to  detain  him.  lie  would  naturally  think  th(> 
sireel  named  after  the  statesman  who  was  his  own  contemporary,  anil  lit?  would  have 
til  l)e  informed  that  the  name  commemorates  that  duke's  nephew,  the  ill-fated  (iov- 
'■rnor-(  ieneral  of  Canada,  who  tlied  of  hyilrophohia  on  the  ()ttawa.  When  last  at 
I  his  Canadian  London,  Simcoe  ri-sted  in  a  wii^^wam  umler  an  elm-hark  roof,  which 
lirant's  Mohawks  IkuI  improxised.  \ow,  without  wainlerin^-  man\-  yards  from  the 
railwa\-  station,  one  m;i\-  fmd  comforts  and  hi.xuries  such  as  the  Royal  Palaces  of  the  last 
century  could  not  haxc  sujjplied,  and  such  ;is  our  old-hishioned  ( iovernor  mi^ht  possiblv 
denounce  as  enerxatin^.  I  he  maze  ot  wiri's  conxcr^inL;  to  \arious  otifici^s  wonUl  have 
to    he    ex|)laineil,    and    barbarous    words    used    that    were   not    in   "  |ohnson,"   the  standard 


124 


OrR    I'/C'/'CR/uSOCH 


ST.    riioMAs. 

1  KdM     Ki;il'l.i:    CKl.KK     r.KlDCK. 

dictionai')    ol    Simcnc's    chu'.        Itoiii   I\is 
Jouiiial    we     know     tliat     alri'a(l\-     with 
his   mind's  eye  lie  saw  puhhc  huihh'n^s 
occupyin!^-    llic    risin^   .t;r(iuncl,   \ct    we   fancy 
'  he  would   l)<j   surprised    at    tlic    luiinlxT  ami 

the  (juality  of  the  public  and  y///?\/-pni)lic  liuild- 
ini^s  that  in  this  xouni^-  city  he  mi^ht  \icw  with- 
out leavini,^  Richmond  Street, — the  City  Hall,  the  Opera  House,  the  i'ost  Ofttce. 
the  Custom  House,  half-a-dozen  noble  Hank  Huildinns,  the  stately  Protestant 
Churches  and  the  L;reat  Catholic  Cathedral.  h'artlK-r  north  he  would  find  the 
(Jrphanau^es, — Protestant  and  Catholic, —  Hellmuth  College,  and  the  Western  Inixcr- 
sity.  And  just  heyontl  the  city  limits  a  vast  pile  of  Pro\incial  buildings  would 
rise  into  view, — a  villat^'^e,  na\ ,  a  whole  town  of  ))oor  insane  folk.  I)i\-eroin(r  into  some 
of  the  parallel  thorou,i,di fares,  Simcoe  would  be  much  puz/led  by  the  names  W^ellington 
and  Waterloo;  he  would  ha\-e  to  learn  all  of  W'ellesley's  career,  exce|)t  his  Indian  cam- 
paij.;ns  ;  and  then  he  would  understand  how  a  drowsx-  Belgian  hamlet  came  to  lentl  its 
name  to  i)ridj.,re  and  street   in    Old    and    New    London.       At  the    name     Talbot  Street   he 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR  '         , 

>vo„l,l  .c.rtainK   inquire  as   t„  .Ik-   subsequent  career  „f  tlu-  youuR    n.ajor,  „l„,  IukI  been 
h.s  |,r,va.e   secretary,    a.ul    u],„n,   by    his    letter   ,„   Lord    Hobart.    Sintcoe   Itelpecl    to    his 
1.1-s.   townsl,ip  on   Lake    lirie.       The    pect.liar    arcl,itecture    of    tlu-    Middlesex  Jail.-one 
block    westward.-  would    certainly  catch  Si„,coe's    e,e.  and    he    wotdd    he    nn.ch    ann.sed 
to    learn  that    lalbot  had  perpetrated  a  n.iniature  of    Malahide  Castle,  the  h„n,e    of   the 
laibots  sntce    the    days  of    the    I'lantagenets.      Si„,coe  wotdd   probably  ft.el  so„,e  secret 
chaKr,n.  because  the    street    that    bears    his    own    nante    is    not    that    "where    „,ercha„ts 
n...st  do  consreKate;"  but  he  „u,d,t  on  the    other  han.l    to    be    well  console.l  by  a  walk 
.h.-ouKh   the    ntajjnificent    thorou.hfare.-his    old    military    road,    Dundas    Street -which 
here   grandly  concludes  the  ■•  Onernors  Road."  with    buildings    that    he  wotdd  certainly 
have:  esteemed  the  very  palaces  of  trade. 

Of  .-i  summer's  evenin,,.  the  boat-houses  at  the  foot  of  Dundas  Street  are  astir  with 
oarsmen  who  take  the  river  in  the  ,doamin.  and  the  moonlight.  In  ,ood  sooth,  the 
water  ,s  no  longer  of  the  crystalline  purity  it  was  ninety  or  fifty  years  since,  when  our 
I  hames  was  as  yet  scarcely  ^.exed  by  a  mill-wheel.  Uenham  wrote  of  the  Elder 
Ihames,   nearly  two  centuries  and  a  half  a.<^o,   these  famous  lines: 


"Oh,    cHiM    I    ll„„-    \ikc   ,in..i.,    and    make   thy   slrcMin 
My    ^'i-cat    cxanipiL',    as    it    is    my    thuinc  I 
Thoufrh    ilcep,    yet    clear,    thoiifjh    fjoUe,    yei    n.d    dull; 
Slrong   wilhoiit    rage,    without   o'erHowing   full, 


But  Thames  /^;r  and  Thames  /A  have  alike  suffered  from  chemical  works  and 
their  k.ndred:  their  foam  is  not  amber,  nor  yet  amberuris ;  and  in  sailin--  on  either 
we    shall    do    well    to    take    Denham's    advice    and    /ccr/>    our    nrs   on    the    shore  — 


"  Thnui;!,    uiih    (hose    streams    he    i...   reseml.laiiee    hold, 
Whose    loam    is   amber,    anil    their   gravel   gold. 
His   genuine   and    less   gnilly    weallli    t' explore, 
Seareh    not    his    hoiiom,    but    survey    his    shore," 


Until     two     years    a^o    our     Canadian     Thames     brought     to     mind    only    rouKunic 
scenerx-.   and   merry-makin,.,    and    joyous    holiday.s.      TIu^i    a    terrible    tra..-edy   befc.ll       One 
"f    the    toy-steamboats    that    plied    between    London    and    Sprin^bank    was    strtn-olin^    to 
l.rin^    back    some    six    h.mdred    of    the    excursit.nists    who    had    kept    the    Otuvn^    [iinh 
'l'^>-    In-     the    ThanK.s.side.        Soon     after     leaving     Sprin^bank    tlu.     rutoria     listed    with 
an    ominous    lurch    and    strain;     then    be,,.an    to    fill.        The     rush    of     the    ,,assenovrs    on 
tiu'    upper   deck  acn>ss    the    vessel    snapped    the    stanchions    like   pipe-stems,    and    brought 
'h.'    whole     tipper-works    with     tlu.-     living     freight     upon     the     helpless    crowd    beneaih 
I  hey    all    sank    together.       Of    the    six     hundred    souls     on     boartl     more     than     a     third 
penshed.       After    that    sorrowful    sun    had    set.    the    search    in   this    deep   and    dark    river 
-^nt    on    with    the   aid    of    .reat    iires     blazing     on     the     banks    and     petroleum    torches 


i-^o  OCR   PIcrrRBSQUE 

tlarint,^  and  tlashin!:,^  distractedly  hither  and  thitlier  on  the  water.  The  scene  on  that 
awful  nijj^ht  inioht  \i\itlly  recall  the  ancient  (ireek  poet's  (lescri|)tion  of  the;  \-estil)ule 
of  the  "dank  House  of  Hades:" — the  waste  shore  and  the  >;ro\cs  of  Persephone, 
the  po|}lar-trees  and  the  willows;  the  dark  Aclieron,  the  I-"lanie-lil  Mood,  and 
Cocytus  that  River  of  \\'ee|)in,!L;^.  Midni,i,dit  hroujL,du  the  solemn  procession  of  the 
dead  up  the  stream,  and  then  the  terrible  recoj^nition  at  the  landint^.  \'et  death 
had  dealt  _i,n,'ntly  with  most  of  those  dear  ont!s :  they  seemed  to  have  but  fallen  itito  a 
peaceful  slumber  on  the  soft  Ma\-  _«,rrass.  The  pain  and  the  ai^-onv  were  for  the  li\ino-. 
That  nijrht  carried  mournini^r  into  a  thousand  homes.  When  the  news  thrilled 
throu_(,di  the  world,  a  universal  cry  of  sxmpathy  arose ;  from  the  Ro)al  Palace  to  the 
cabin    all    claimed    a    share    in    the    i^rief    of    this    bereaved    city. 

Of  the  many  railways  which  brinij  rich  tributt-  to  London,  that  arri\inL;  from 
the  shore  of  Lake  Lrie  by  way  of  St.  Thomas  taps  a  district  of  much  interest  as 
well  as  resource.  LeaviuLi"  Lc^ndon,  and  holding,'-  our  wa\-  aloni^'-  the  o'entU;  rise  which 
forms  the  water-shed  of  the  rich  tov/nships  of  Westminster  anil  N'armouth,  we  lind 
on  reaching  .St.  Thomas  that  we  are  looking-  down  from  an  escarpment  of  consider- 
able elevation.  P'rom  the  western  (.^doi;  the  cit\-  commands  a  mat^miticeiit  outlook. 
.As  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  country  villas  and  trim  farmsteads  stand  out  in  relief 
against  i^raceful  bits  of  wild-wood,  or  are  only  half  concealed  b\-  plantations  of  deep 
i^reen  spruce  and  arbor  \ita'.  hiterxcnint:^  are  broati  stretches  of  meadow,  or  loni;' 
rolliuL;'  billows  of  harvest-land.  1  )own  in  the  (lee[)  ra\ine  at  our  feet  winds  a  beau- 
tiful stream,  whi(-h  has  all  tlu:  essentials  of  romance,  except  the  name.  When,  half 
a  century  a^o,  Mrs.  Jameson  warniK'  remonstrated  against  "Kettle  Creek,"  nld  Colonel 
Talbot  pleatletl  that  some  of  his  lirst  seitK'rs  hail  christened  the  stream  from  I'liid- 
in^-  an  Indian  camp-kettle  on  the  bank,  and  that  reall\-  he  had  not  lhouL;lu  it 
worth  while  to  change  the  name.  The  Canada  Southern  Railwa\-  is  carried  across 
the  Creek  and  its  dizzy  raxine  b)-  a  lon^'  woodi-n  \iailncl  which  contains  a  \cr\' 
forest  ot  spars.  '1  he  L^rowth  of  .St.  Thomas  has  been  much  promoted  by  this 
Southern  Railwa\-,  which, — ori«;inally  projected  1)\-  W,  .\.  Thompson,  receixed,  after 
wear}-  Aears  of  solicitation,  support  from  Courtrii^ht  and  Daniel  Drew,  and  linalK' 
reached  a  permanent  basis  under  the  mii^luier  dynasty  of  the  X'anderbilts.  Its  alli- 
ance with  the  Credit  \'alle\'  road  i^ives  St.  Thomas  tlu;  ad\aiitaL;e  of  a  double  through 
routi-  east  and  west.  The  companx's  car-shops  have  created  a  hive  of  industr\-  at 
th(!  eastern  end  of  Centre  Street.  The  adjoining-  station  is  one  of  the  fmesi  in  the 
Dominion,  ami  reminds  one  of  the  lart^e  structures  in  Chicago  and  New  ^'ork.  Com- 
petition for  the  .\merican  throutih-frei-^ht  brought  a  branch  of  the  (ireal  Wesieru 
from  Cdencoi;  to  St.  Thomas.  This  Loop  or  ".Xir"  Line  passes  onward  b\  .\\lmer, 
Tilsonburi:;,  .Siuicoe,  and  |ar\is;  then,  as  we  have  alnadx'  seen,  converges  to  the 
Canada    Southern    at    Ca\-UL;a;    whence    th(^    two    rivals    start   on    a   fift\-mile   race   for  the 


XOR  THI-RX  XEICIIIH  Vv' 


I  2 


International  Hridjj^c  at  lUiffalo,  hlowinL;  strain 
into  each  other's  faces  almost  all  the  \va)'. 
The  Loop  Line  ^ives  St.  Thomas  the  rare 
advantaLi^e  of  a  third  throuL,di-route  east  antl 
west.  Then  hy  the  railway  on  which  we 
have  just  travelled  there  is  easy  access  to 
Port  Stanley  which,  only  eii^ht  miles  distant, 
is  the  chief  harbcnir  on  the  ncjrth  shore  of 
Lake    ICrie. 

Tlu-    develojMnent     of    -St.    Thomas    into    a 
raihva\'    centre    has    carried    with    it    threat    ma- 
terial    prosperit)  ;      the       haunts     and 


homes    of    commerce    and    in- 
dustry   are     last    ovcr'jrowiiiL!' 
the   cit\'s    limits.       1  lie    ri  Iil;ious  edifices   have 
kept   ahreast  of  this  material  adxance.     Higher 
education,      as      well      as     elementar\,    has    re- 
cei\-ed      careful      consider.ition.        .An    excellent    Collet^iate 
Institute    furnishes    an     acatlemic    and    professional    Irain- 

iuL;.        .Alma    ColK'n'C',    a    line    pile    of    huildini^s    iii    modern    (iothic,  r     ^  I 

occupies    a     commaiulini^"      site     of     six     acres      in     the     middle     of  ,■    '■ 

the   city.        'I'he    (."olle^c    is    desij^iied    to    i^ixc    x'ount;'    ladies    a    train- 
in_sj^,    artistic     and     musital,    as    well     as     literar)-;      it     is     conducteil     uniler    the     auspice?; 


of    the    Methodist    f'lpiscopal    Church. 


128  OUR  PICTURESQUE 

At  St.  Thomas  we  ar(>  in  the  hfart  of  the  "  I'allx)!  C"()iintr\."  The  city's 
main  artcr)-  is  the'  same  Talbot  Street  wliich  se\-ent\  miles  eastward  we  found  cross- 
\\\<-^  the  Grand  River  at  Ca\  iii^a ;  and  wliich,  wc-stwaril,  we  should  lind  traversiniL,^ 
the  counties  of  Kent  and  iCssex,  finally  running-  out  on  the  Detroit  River  at  Saiul- 
wich.  Hoth  the  "Street"  and  St.  Thomas  itself  take  their  name  from  the  younf 
lieutenant  whom  we  saw  with  (io\-ernor  .Simcoe  exploriii!^-  a  site  for  Lomlon  in  the; 
winter  of  1793.  As  in  St.  Catharine's  and  some  other  places  locally  canonized,  the 
"  Saint "  has  been  thrown  in  for  euphony.  Perhaps,  too,  the  voluntary  hardships  to 
which  Colonel  Talbot  devotetl  himself  may  have  sugtrested  a  comparison  with  his 
famous    namesake    of    Canterbury. 

Vxom.  the  lookout  at  Port  Stanley  wc  can  discern,  seven  or  eii^du  miles  west- 
ward, Talbot  Creek  and  the  spot  where  this  military  hermit  renounced  the  world  of 
rank  and  fashion  and  entered  the  wilderness,  there  to  abide  with  brief  intermission 
for  nearl\-  fift)-  )ears  ;— the  spot  also  where  after  a  stormy  life  he  now  peacefully  lies 
listening  to  the  lappinj;  of  the  lake-waves  upon  tht:  shore.  Talbot  was  two  years 
younjrcr  than  Arthur  Wellesley, — the  future  Duke  of  Wellin^rton.— and,  while  still  in 
their  teens,  the  younjr  officers  were  thrown  much  to.trether  as  aides  to  Talbot's  relative 
the  Marquis  of  Buckinjj^ham,  then  \'iceroy  of  Ireland.  The  warm  friendship  thus 
formed  was  kept  up  to  the  end  of  their  lives  by  correspondence,  and  by  Colonel 
Talbot's  secular  visits  to  Apsley  House,  whert;  he  alwaj's  found  Wellington  ready  to 
back  him  against  the  intrigues  of  the  Canadian  I^.xecutive.  Through  Simcoe's  inllu- 
ence  Talbot  oljtained  in  1S03  a  township  on  the  sh(jri'  of  Lake  I'^rie;  the  original  de- 
nu:sne  _ti,rew  in  half  a  century  to  a  principality  of  about  700,000  acres  with  a  poini- 
lation  of  75,000  souls.  There  was  an  Arcadian  simplicit)-  aljout  the  life  of  these 
pioneers.  The  title-deeds  of  tin;  farms  were  mere  pencil  entries  Ijy  the  Colonel  in  his 
township  maps;  transfers  were  accomjjlished  1>\-  a  piece  of  rubber  and  more  pencil 
entries.       His     word     of     honour     was     suf'ticient  ;     antl     their     confidence;     was     certainl\- 

never    abused.       The    anniversary    of    his    landini:;-    at    Port    Talbot, — the    :!ist    of    May, 

was  erected  by  Dr.  Rolph  into  a  j^reat  ft'stival.  which  was  loni^-  ke|)t  up  in  Si. 
Thomas  with  all  honour.  Immediately  after  this  brief  respite  the  hermit  woukl  re- 
turn to  his  isolation,  in  which  there;  was  an  odd  mixture  of  aristocratic  hauteur  and 
sava^-e  wildness.  The  ac(|uaintances  of  earlier  life  fell  awav  one  b\-  one,  and  there 
were  none;  others  to  till  the  vacancies.  While  creating-  thousands  of  happy  firesides 
arouml  him,  his  own  hearth  remained  desolate.  Compassion  was  often  felt  for  his 
lonelinc^ss  :  his  ne])hews,  one  of  them  afterwards  (ieneral  Lord  Aire)-  of  Crimean 
fame, — attemptt'd  to  share  his  solitucU'  :  but  in  \ain.  Then  his  one  faithful  ser\ant 
Jeffrey  died.  The  recluse  hatl  succeeded  in  creating  around  him  an  absolute  xoid  ; 
for  we  take  no  account  of  the  birds  of  prey  that  hovered  about.  Wellini^^ton,  his 
first   com[janion    and    the    last    of    his    friends,    was    boriu;    to    his    tomb    in    the    crypt    of 


;\  Y  Vv'  TIIERN  NEIGHBOR  1:0 

St.  I'aiil's  amid  all  tlic  inai,niiflcciit  woe  of  a  State  funeral,  and  with  the  |)rof()inul- 
cst  respect  of  a  _L,fr(;at  empire.  Three  months  later,  poor  Tallxjt  also  died.  It  was 
the  ilepth  of  winter  and  hitterl)'  coltl.  In  the  projji'ress  of  the  remains  from  London, 
where  he  died,  to  the  ([iiiet  nook  by  the  lake  shore;,  the  deceased  lay  all  ni^ht  net;;- 
lected  and  forsaken  in  the  barn  of  a  roadside  inn.  Ihe  on!)  voice  of  mourninjr 
near  his  coftin  was  the  wailing-  of  the  night-wind.  Hut,  in  tiial  solemn  darkness,  the 
pealing  organ  of  the  forest  played  more  touching  cadences  than  ma)-  bi;  found  in 
a  requiem    of   Mozart    or    Cherubini. 

'  What  was  the-  mystery  in  this  lonely  man's  life,  that  coukl  induce  a  handsome 
colonel  of  ancient  and  noble  family  to  forego  at  thirty-one  all  his  advantages  of  per- 
son, rank,  and  station,  to  pass  many  jears  of  e.xtremest  hardship  in  the  wilderness, 
and  after  all  only  gain  an  old  age  of  sore  discomfort,  and  llnall)'  an  unhonouretl  and 
forgottcMi  gra\-e  ?  His  own  answer  was,  that,  when  he  was  young  and  romantic, 
Charlevoix's    tlescription    of    this    I'.rie    shore     had    cast    a    spell    upon    him. 

By  oriler  of  Louis  X\  .,  this  learnetl  Jesuit,  who  was  preseiilh  to  become  our 
earliest  historian,  made  a  tour  of  obserxation  through  New  I'rance.  i'Ortunateh  lor 
us.  he  kept  along  the  north  shore  ol  Lake  i^rie,  and  recorded  his  observations  in  a 
Jii/ti-iiai  which  took  the  form  oi  correspondence  addressetl  to  the  1  )uchess  des  1-es- 
(liguieres.  ihe  seventeenth  lettei'  is  datetl  at  l'"ort  I'onrharlrain,  Detroit,  Slh  June. 
1721.  While  j)assing  the  esluar\  of  the  (irand  RixiM"  [/.a  (iraiidc  R/v/'crc),  Charle- 
voix remarked  that  though  it  was  the  jSih  of  .Ma\  the  lre(;s  wert;  not  yet  out  in 
liaf.  Then  past  Long  Point  { /.n  I-oi/o'iif  /'o/iih)  and  its  clouds  of  water-fowl,  and  so 
wcstwanl  ox'er  a  (piiet  lake  and  water  as  clear  as  crystal.  The  explorer's  part)' 
encamped  in  the  noble  oak-wootis  wlnre  Talbot  afterwards  found  a  hermitage  and  a 
grax'e.  CharU^voix  w,is  charmed  with  a  life  that  recalled  tlu;  wiKl  freeilom  of  the 
Hebrew  I'atriarchs;  each  da\  brought  an  abundance  of  tlu'  choicest  game,  a  new 
wigwam,  a  fountain  of  pure  wali'r,  a  soft  carpet  of  green  sward,  and  a  profusion  of 
tile     loveliest     flowers. 

The  fourth  ol  jul\  bi-oughl  Charlexoix  to  I'oiitlc  IVh'i.  where  he  chief])-  re- 
marked copsi's  of  red  cedar.  This  I'oint,  it  will  be  remembered,  had  witnessed  the 
great  tribulation  of  the  worth)  bathers  (ialinee  ami  I  )ollier  in  the  .S|)ring  of  1(170, 
;ui(l  so  IkuI  been  called  Poiiilc  anx  Peres.  At  Chark'xoix's  \isit  the  headland  had 
ac(piiri'd  its  present  name,  but  he  throws  no  light  on  its  meaning.  it  was  then  a 
rare  bear-garden:  more  than  foin-  liiiiidred  W'-ax'>  hail  been  killed  last  wintt'r  (1720-1) 
upon    the    I'oint. 

.Sixteen  miles  to  the  south-west  of  Pointe  Pek'e  lies  Pelee  Island,  which,  —with 
the  exception  of  an  islet  ol  fort)'  acres  two  miles  still  farther  out  in  the  Lake. — 
iorms  the  most  soutlicrl)  possession  of  the  Canadian  Dominion.  'The  temperature 
is    so    warm    and    e(|ual)lc'    that    sweet     potatoes    are    grown,     cotton    has    been    found    to 


oc/^  I'lcrrRiisoL  E 


ON    TMF,    HANKS    ()|-     IIIB 

i)i;ii<(  III'. 


thrive,  the  di'licatc  Is- 
abella and  llu,'  late- 
ripeiiinL;  Catawba  here 
reach  their  highest 
tiavor     ami     j)erfecti()n. 


Six  miles  to  the  south  lies  atK^her  famous  vineyard,  Kellc;y's  Island,  which  terri- 
torialK'  belonijjs  to  Ohio.  In  Charlevoix's  time  two  of  these  islands  were  s|)ecially 
known  as  Rattlesnake  Islands,  and  all  bore  a  viperous  reputation.  Apparently 
with     excellent     reason:     for    Captain     Carver,    in     1767,     and    Isaac    Weld,     thirty    years 


A  OK  THERM  NlilGUBOR 


\\\ 


later,  found  tlit-ni  fairl\  l)ristlinL,r  with  rattlcsnakt's.  The  very  islamls  that  in  our 
time  are  the  most  dch^^htful  of  licaltii-rcsoi-ts  were  in  the  claNs  of  the  carl)-  trav- 
ellers held  to  breathe  an  envenomed  atmosphere.  Carver,  with  charminj^-  credulit)'. 
tells  of  a  "  hissinj^f-snake,"  (Mjj^hteen  inches  loni^r,  which  particular!)-  infested  these 
islands:  "it  blows  from  its  mouth  witli  i^^reat  force  a  subtile  wind,"  which,  "if  drawn 
in  with  the  breath  of  the  unwar\-  trave-ller,  will  infallii)l\-  brin^-  on  a  decline  that  in 
a  few  months  must  proxc  mortal,  there  beiiio-  no  remedy  yet  discovered  which  can 
countcM'act    its    i)aneful    inlluencel" 

Charlevoix  entered  the  Detroit  River  an  hour  before  simset,  on  the;  5th  of 
June,  1721,  and  encamped  for  the  nioiit  on  "  Bois  Hlanc."  The  island  had  alrcad) 
o-ot  its  present  name,  ami  was,  a  luindretl  and  sixty  years  a_L;o,  as  it  is  ncnv,  "  nnc 
Ir'cs-bcllc  isle." 

In  1796.  when  \'K^x^.  Detroit  passetl  uncUn"  Jay's  Trt.'aty  from  I'lni^dand  to  the 
United  States,  the  jj^ims  and  military  stores  wert.'  removetl  to  a  new  fort  which  the 
I'^nu^lish  enj^ineers  had  hastil\-  erecteil,  eii^hteen  miles  Ix'low,  at  th(;  mouth  of  the 
ri\er.  \  s(]uare  plot,  sufficient  to  receive  three  re-i^dments,  was  enclosed  and  de- 
fended by  ditch,  stockaiU,',  and  rampart ;  and  tin;  !)astions  at  the-  four  any^lcs  were 
lu'aviK'  armed.  One  face  ran  |xirallel  to  the  river-bank  and  was  pierced  by  a  sally- 
port, b'ort  Maiden  has  witnessed  excitinj^  and  troublous  times,  but  soon  its  ^rountl 
plan  will  bf  as  ilifficidt  to  trace  as  the  plans  of  the  mound-builders  of  tlic  ()hio.  The 
slump  of  the  tlajL^-staff  is  now  siU-ntly  decayinjj^  in  the  !^rass-plot  of  a  pri\ate  tle- 
iiicsne,  like  a  maimt'd  veteran  in  a  (juiet  nook  at  Chelsea;  the  stockade  ami  ditch 
have  disappeared ;  the  ramparts  themselves  have  melted  awa\'  into  i^entk;  slopes  of 
i^reen  sward.  The  untamed  wiklness  of  the  ri\'c;r-banks  antl  islands  as  the\-  were 
seen  b\'  (jalinee,  Charlevoix,  ami  Weld,  has  been  succeetled  1)\-  a  softer  landscape'  of  rare 
loxcliiU'ss.  The  screen  of  white-wood  forest,  from  which  Iiois  Hlanc  took  its  name,  was 
cut  down  in  the  Rebellion  of  1S37-S  in  order  to  i^ive  the  L^uns  of  I""orl  Maklen  an 
imrestricteil  swtn^p.  The  river-\iew  from  .\iidierstljurL;-  thus  became  enlaro;('d  and  en- 
richetl,  takino-  in  the  beautiful  (irosse  Isle  and  the  rich  woodlands  on  the  farther  bank 
of  the  Detroit.  The  town  was  nametl  in  commemoration  of  (ieneral  Lord  Andierst, 
Wolfe's  Commander-in-Chief  in  the  successful  cam|)aiL;ns  atrainst  Louisbourn'  and  Ouebec. 
Ihe  new  fort  was  visited  in  1797  b\'  Isaac  Weld,  some  of  whose  most  interestinj^'- 
sketches  are  dated  from  "  Maiden."  He  came  up  Lake  Erie  with  a  scpiadron  of  three 
war-vessels,  one  of  them  charged  with  presents  for  the  Indians.  On  the  first  night 
after  his  arrival,  just  as  he  was  retiring  to  rest,  he  heard  wild  plaintive  music  borne 
■in  with  the  midnight  wind  from  the  river.  Taking  a  boat  for  Hois  Hlanc,  and 
guided  by  the  light  of  a  camp-fire,  he  found  a  ])arty  of  Indian  girls  "warbling  their 
native  wood-notes  wild."  A  score  of  young  s(juaws  had  formed  a  circle  round  the 
lire    and,    each    with    her    hand    around    another's    neck,     were    keeping    time    in    a    kind 


'32 


(U/<  I'K  rrRh.sori-: 


LAiAWiiA   \im:\.\ki)     I'i:i  i:i',  island. 

of  ininucl  to  ;i  recitative  siiiiij;^  1)\ 
They  were  supjjorteil  l)\'  the  deep 
voices  ol  lliree  iiieii,  who,  seated  under  a  tree, 
formed  the  orchestra  tor  this  clioral  dance,  and 
niarketl  the  lime  with  rude  kettle-chamis.  The  Iiuhan  warriors  on  the  island  had  heeii 
foniHM'l)'  sc:ttled  near  the  W  ahasli,  and  were  of  those  tribes  that  six  years  a^o  had  cut 
to  pieces  the  army  of  ( leiK^ral  St.  Clair,  the  L^out)'  grandson  of  tlii'  Karl  of  KossKn. 
'Idle  retl-men  had  since  l)een  tameil  l)\-  the  nimhle  deneral  W'a^ne, — "Mad  Anlhon)," 
whose  redoubt  now  commands  the  river  below  Detroit, — but  several  Indian  families 
had  made  o()()d  their  retreat  with  St.  Clair's  spoils,  and  were  thiMi  actually  encamped 
under    his    cainas  on     iiois    lUane. 

Ihe  ('arliest  detailed  exploration  of  the  Detroit  Rivc;r  is  (lalinee's,  in  the  .S|)ri!i^ 
of  1670,  though  we  know  that  Jolliet  had  in  the  previous  Autumn  mapped  his  wa\' 
down  from  the  .Sault  Ste,  Marie  to  the  mouth  of  the  (irand  ki\-er.  'I'he  mission- 
aries   Galinee    and    Dolli(!r    had    been    mocked    and     thwarted     by    tin-     storm\-    waters   of 


•^'•^A'////.A'.\-    .V/:/,,///;o;, 


I7-- 

.1  r"-,')'  ■ 


.♦f... 


'.>,; 


r*r" 


H,:. 


,.,^o. 


A     FOREST    J-ATHWA 


i:,4  01 'R   /PICTURESQUE 

C  oinnuTci"  oftt-n  luin^  close!)  on  the  skirts  of  the  Church.  Within  a  decade  of 
l*"ath>'r  (iahnee's  hoiil  with  the  Maniton,  La  Salle  hail  dedicated  to  idinnierce  this 
frontier  chain  ol  rixcrs  as  well  as  tht;  two  s^reat  inland  si-as  that  are  joined  l)\  these 
shininj^f    links    of    silver. 

Ntnirl)'  ten  years  have  passed  since  we  saw  I. a  Salle  niakini,^  the  first  explo- 
ration of  Lake  I'rontenac  ( ( )ntario),  and  discoxcrin^'  Niaj^ara  Ki\t'r  ami  iUirlinj^ton 
Ha\-.  The  younn  C  anailian,  Jollit't,  whose  romantic  interview  with  La  Salle  wi-  wit- 
nessed near  the  (irand  River,  has  since  found  the  Mississippi,  ami,  in  company  with 
the  l)ra\('  I'ather  Maripiette,  has  tracetl  that  mi,i;ht\  llood  down  to  within  a  couple 
of  tla)s'  journey  from  the  mouth.  llis  ambitious  rival,  La  .Salle,  has  em- 
harked  on  a  vast  commercial  enterprise  in  which  the  ( io\ernor-(  u'lU'ral,  Count  I'ron- 
tenac, is  shrewdly  believed  to  ha\i'  invested  more  than  a  friendl\-  interest.  The 
scheme  is  no  k'ss  than  a  monopoly  of  tlu-  fur-traik;  ol  the  continent.  Ihe  (Ireat 
Ki\(M'  ami  \'alU'\'  of  whose  resources  Jolliet  brought  back  in  ihe  Summer  of  1*573 
such  marvellous  accounts,  will  In-  re-explored  l)\  La  SalK;  with  the  aid  of  jolliet's 
manuscript  re|)orts  and  maps,  and  of  Maripiette's  narrati\c,  alter  Manpiette  is  dead,  and 
when  I'rontenac  has  removed  poor  lolliet  to  the  tlistant  ami  barren  scioiiciii'ic  ol 
Anticosti.  Hut  the  first  antl  pressiiiLj  cpiestion  is  the  fur-trade  of  the  (ireat  Lakes. 
This  title  of  fortuiu'  must  forthwith  l)e  dellected  from  the  An^^lo-I  )iitch  channel  of  the 
Hudson  to  the  St.  LawrtMice.  I'Ort  I'rontenac  was  hastilx'  thrown  up  on  the  site  ol  the 
present  Kins^^ston  to  command  the  lower  outlet  of  Lake  ( )iUario ;  the  western  L;atewa\' 
was  broui^ht  under  La  .Salle's  j^uns  by  the  erection  of  I'Ort  NiaL^ara.  Ihe  lur-trade  ol 
I'.rie  and  the  Lpper  Lakes  was  to  be  secured  b)'  the  patrol  ol  an  armed  trailer. 
l)Ut  La  Salle's  schemes  of  inonopoh'  had  alread)'  excited  bitter  jealousies  and  had 
])lunL;ed  him  into  fmancial  I'mbarrassments.  [ust  as  he  had  put  on  the  stocks  the 
vessel  that  was  to  become  the  pioneer  of  lake  merchantmen,  his  creditors  lai-.l  hands 
upon  his  store  of  furs  at  I'Ort  I'rontenac,  and  the  l'"rench  Intendant  seized  the  rest 
at  Ouebec.  To  tlu'  Inlendant's  share  fell  2S4  skunk-skins,  whose  lati:  occupants  are 
in    the  official    inventor\     ^riniK    cataloLjued    as    ''cufivtls    dii    diablcr 

After  incredible  difficulties,  and  amid  the  sleepless  suspicion  and  hostilit\'  of  the 
Indians,  a  45-ton  craft  was  at  length  completed  and  launched  on  the  Niagara  l\i\er. 
Slie  was  named  the  (irijjiii,  after  the  lion-eat,le  at  her  prow,  which  had  beiMi  ile- 
sii^ned  Irom  the  armorial  bearings  of  Count  b'rontenac.  On  the  7th  August,  167Q, 
La  Salle  embarked  on  Lake  Lrie,  ami  with  a  7"c  Pcudi  and  salvos  of  artiller\'  the 
(rritfiit  llun_n'  her  canvas  to  the  breeze.  On  the  i  1  th  she  entered  the  Detroit,  the 
pioneer  and  pilot  of  that  innumerable  procession  of  ships  which  durinj^  two  centu- 
ries have  passed  this  Strait.  I'Oom  ^Lay  to  Decembi-r  you  may  ol)serve  all  day,  and 
throu!L,di  the  livelon_t,r  niL,dit,  the  stately  march  of  the  merchantmen  on  these  waters, — 
the     soft     foot-fall     of     the     sailinLT    craft,     and     in     the     fore-front    of     these    alarii.     the 


xoA' riir.Rx  \/:/(;///u)R 


•  vS 


Lake  I'.ric  :  linallv,  niif  iiii^lu,  l»\-  a  stealthy  inroad  on  the  poor  txhaiislcd  Sulpi- 
liaiis,  till'  Lake  had  tihhcd  the  ahar-scrvicc  which  was  to  ha\c  (arricd  the  laith  to 
thf  l)anks  ol  the  <  )hio.  lO  the  minds  of  tlicsc  earnest,  sini|ili'-inind((l  mkii  it  was 
plain  that  liie  Towers  of  Darkness  wer(!  warrinj;'  throuj^h  the  \-er\  ehinents  tiieiii- 
«el\es  aj^jainst  the  advance  of  the  Cross  into  luiathendoni.  The  missionaries  aseend- 
ini4  the  I  )etroit,  fonnd  near  the  present  I'Ort  Wayne  a  sacred  camp-jrround  ol  thi' 
red  mill.  Within  a  circle  of  numerous  Iodides  was  a  ^reat  stone  idol  which  |)ro\cd 
to  he  no  less  a  divinity  than  the  Indian  Neptune  of  l.akt'  I'.rie-  the  Manitou  that 
at  will  could  rouse  or  (piell  those  perilous  waters.  The  idol  was  lormed  of  a  rude 
monolith,  to  which  Indian  fanc\  atlrihuted  a  human  liki-ness,  the  features  heins;' 
helped  dui  wilh  M'rmilion,  on  the  whole,  perhaps,  a  not  more  artistic-  divinit)'  than 
our  own  forefathers  worshijjped  within  the  Hruidical  Circle  at  Stonehent^e.  This 
Inilian  Neptune  was  entreated  with  sacrifices,  with  peltries,  and  with  presents 
of  L,fame,  to  receive;  gently  the 
frail  canoe.  and  prosper  the 
red  man's  xoya^c-  oxer  the 
ilan^frous      Mrie.  The      Inxpiois 

of  (ialinee's  party  urncd  the 
missionary  to  perform  the  cus- 
tomar\  sacrifices  to  the  Manitou. 
The  worthy  father  had  made 
up  his  mind  that  this  heathen 
demon  was  at  the  bottom  of 
all  those  I'",rie  disasters.  and 
was  even  now  trying-  to  slarx'e 
the  missionaries  to  death.  la- 
kiiii^  an  axe,  he  sirote  the  idol 
to  fra^ineius  ;  then  lashing  his 
canoes  loi^'ether  he  laid  the 
iors('  across,  and  paddlino"  out 
if  .)  the  river,  he  hea\ed  Xej)- 
tune  (ixcrlioard  in  mid-channel, 
where  the  vciierahle  Manitou  of 
Lake      \\y'\v     still     reposes. — unless 

some  steam-drediL;'e  has  scuttled  him  into  its  mud-box.  Curiousl\-  enough,  the  Acr)- 
day  that  witnessed  this  daring'  iconoclasm  brought  abundance  of  food  and  a  ci-ssation 
of  hardships.  Two  centuries  ai^o  \\v.  should,  ever)-  one  of  us,  like  ("lalinee,  haxc 
thouL,dit    this    something    more    than    a    coincidence. 

In    earl)-    ]'"rench    exploraiion    the    Missioiiar\'    irenerall}-    outran    the    Trader,   thouc^h 


kivkksiul;    c;ka.xarii;s. 


1.36  oc/^  /vcrrA'/iSorB 

measured  tramp  of  ihe  steamers,  those  lesj^ionaries  of  commerce.  ( )n  these  deh^hlful 
breezy  banks  you  an-  prone  to  loiter  of  a  Summer  ni^ht,  to  wateh  the  movino-  h^lits 
burn  with  red  .incl  L^ret'n  llres  on  the  water,  and  to  hear  tht'  rising'  wintl  "  sweep  a 
music  out  of  sheet  ami  shroud."  When  these  waterwa\s  an-  locked  I)\'  the  frost,  the 
_i;reat  transfer-steamers  still  pass  and  repass  between  llu'  shores  with  a  calm  intlilTert 
ence  to  the  chan>j;etl  lanilscape.  The  commander  of  tln'  (//v/////,  -  tlashiuL;  l.a  .Salle  him- 
self,— woukl  behold  with  awi:  these  lexiathans  swinj^'  into  the  landiiii:^-,  and,  taking 
whole  railway-trains  upon  their  backs,  swim  lit^hth'  across  tlu'  witle  channel,  cleaxini^, 
if  nei'd  be,  fiekls  of  ice,  or  smiting-  ilown  the  piletl-up  masonr)  of  the  frost.  lie  e\- 
ploretl  this  .Strait  under  .Summer  skies.  The  (/'r//////  sailed  betwt:eii  shores  which  bather 
[b'linepin,  wrilinL;  his  journal  on  deck,  ilescribetl  as  xirj^in  prairies,  or  as  natm^al  parks 
frecjuented  b\  herds  ot  c'eer.  lie  saw  clouds  of  wild  turkexs  rising,''  h'om  llic 
water's  ed^c,  and  noble  wiKl  swans  feeding;"  amons^'  the  lai^oons.  The  sportsmen 
of  the  part\'  hunted  alon^'  the  (ijiffnis  acKance,  and  soon  the  bulwarks  of  the  briiL^- 
aiuiue  were  Iiuiil;  with  the  choicest  j^ame.  There  were  iL;ro\('s  of  walnut,  .uid  chest- 
nut, and  wild  plums;  there  were  statel\-  oak-i;"lades  with  rich  i^arniture  ol  u;rape-\  iiu's. 
(.hiolh  bather  lbnnei)in:  "  Ihose  who  in  the  biture  will  haxc  the  i^ood  fortune  to 
own  this  fruitful  ;uid  lovely  Strait  will  feel  \ery  thankfid  to  those  who  have  shown 
them  tin;  wa\-."  Worthy  Chaplain  of  thi-  (ir/f/iii.  \\\\\\  in  bespeaking-  i,;rateful  remem- 
brance for  th\  hero,  hast  //lo/i  lori^'otlen  to  recortl  that  our  Canadian,  Jolliet,  in  his 
birch-bark    canoe,    map[)ed    out    thesi'    waterways    teii     \ears    a_L;o  ? 

llu'  importance  of  these  lake-straits  was  early  recoi^nizetl  l)\-  brench  stalesuie;i. 
In  i6SS  Haron  La  blontan  fouml  o|)posite  Point  b^dwartl,  ami  ni-ar  the  site  of  ihi' 
present  bcirl  dratiot,  a  fortified  post,  -Fort  .St.  Joseph,  which  ha^l  bi'cn  erected  some 
years  before  t'>  command  the  upper  i^atewa\'  of  the  St.  Clair.  I'luler  the  express 
direction  of  ■  o'nt  Pontchartrain  a  lort  was  in  1701  erected  on  tlu;  present  site  of 
Detroit.  The  fountler,  l.a  Mottt;  Catlillac,  nametl  this  important  post  afti-r  the  .Min- 
ist(,'r  himself,  and  it  i^ecame  t^he  nucleus,  not  only  of  the  futiu'e  city  of  Detroit,  but 
of  the  early  settlemiMits  all  ai  jul;-  thi'  .Straits  northward  to  Lake;  Huron  aiul  southward 
to   Lak(;   Erie. 

Under  shelter  of  Fort  Pontchartrain,  settlements  ^'radiially  crej)!  alon^  the  wati-r's 
edij^e  on  both  sides  of  the  Detroit.  Between  1734  and  1756  the  oUl  records  show 
that  nuinerous  land-yi-ants  were  made.  The  t'arlier  passed  imcK'r  the  hands  of  jieau- 
harnois  and  Iloccpiart;  the  later  patents  briny;  toi^ether  such  inconj^nious  nami's  as 
the  sajracioiis  (icucrnor  Ducpiesne, — the  founder  of  Pittsbur_t,'^, — and  the  infamous  in- 
tendant  Hiyot.  These  jrrants  were  subject  to  the  usual  incidents  of  Canadian 
feudalism,  which  re(|uireil  of  the  siioiwur  to  erect  a  i^rist-mill  for  the  use  of  his 
cciisi/airi's  or  feudal  tenants,  aiul  to  proviik;  a  fort  or  block-house  for  dt.'fence  asj^ainst 
the   Indians.       'T(j    co\er  both   necessities  windmill-forts  were    ereclc-d,   and    the    C.madian 


AYVv'  rill'RX  XJilClll^OK 


137 


WINDSOR,    FROM     DKCK    Ol-     IkANSIIlk    S IKAMK  k 

liank      ahovc      and      hrlow      Windsor      hccanit; 
dotted     with     picturt'sciuc'     round-towi'i's.        An 

cxaniplc, — tlioiioh  not  of  the  \  t'r\-  earlit'st  mills. — siir\i\cs  near  Sandwich  :  anotluT 
may  he  seen  on  the  rixcr-hank  ahove  Windsor,  or  rather  Walkerville.  The  har\csts 
ami  millino-  operations  of  pionetM"  ila\s  ma\'  appear  conte-niptihle  to  a  generation 
accustomed  to  see  wheat  1)\"  tens  of  tlionsands  of  l)ushels  ri'ceived  and  ilischar-cil 
daily  at  the  railway  _<;ranaries  on  the  river-side;  indeed  a  lar^e  ele\ator  ot  ."  time 
woiilcl  have  housed  the  iMitire  wheatdiarxcst  of  ( )ntario  in  the  earlier  \ears  of  the 
centurv.  But  the  rudt'st  of  mills  was  an  inexpri'ssihle  boon  to  a  settler  who  had 
heen  living  on  j^rain  coarsely  hruist'd  in  the  mortar  that,  after  Indian  example, 
with  a  red-hot  stone,  he  hollowed  out  ot  sonu'  hard-wood  stimip.  In  the  court- 
\ards  of  these  old  windmills  ma\'  often,  of  an  Autunui  day,  ha\e  been  seen  anima- 
tetl  <j^rou|)s, — at  first  eas\-luimoured  and  apt  to  make  the  best  of  I'verythinj^'  after  the 
hai)py  disposition  of  thi'  b'rench  hahiliDit,  but  lattt-rly,  -with  the  arrival  of  the  l'.  1{. 
Loyalists, — apt  to  see  that  the  miller  took  no  more  than  his  riohtfid  toll,  anil  that  he 
;^ave  them  back  their  own  wheat-sacks.  These  primiti\e  rights  of  the  subject  found 
\oice  in  the  open-air  Parliament  which  Simcoe  hekl  at  Niaj^ara  in  1792:  it  was  then 
and  there  solemnly  enacted  that  wheat-sacks  must  be  brandetl,  and  that  the  miller 
must    not    take    more    than    a    twelfth   for  his  toll. 


Amony   the  earliest  settlers    on   the  Detroit  were   dischary^ed  soldiers  of    the   I'rench 


138 


OUR   PICTURESQUE 


armies  which  had  served  against  Kni^land  in  the  (^rcat  strii(]^tj;le  lately  closed  b)'  the 
treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle ;  and  no  doubt  some  of  these  ver)-  veterans  and  the  officers 
who  now  became  their  sc(iiuciirs  had  been  with  Marshal  Saxe  at  h"ontenoy.  The 
threat  highway  of  our  Old  Rcoinic  was  the  rivc^r,  whether  open  or  frozen  ;  so  the  land 
was  cut  up  into  long  narrow  ribbons  running  out  to  the  river-bank.  A  group  of  these 
shore-settlements  was  in  the  l'"rench-Canadian  palois  known  as  a  cote.  Thus  between 
Amherstburg  and  Sandwich  there  was  Pcfifc  Cote,  a  name  which  still  survives  though 
its  original  significance  is  lost.  The  ecclesiastical  grouping  of  these  settlements  into 
parishes  was  simultaneous.  The  I'arish  of  L Assowptioi  extended  along  the  iiank  above 
and  below  the  present  Windsor,  a  dozen  miles  either  way.  At  La  Poiiiic  dc  Motitrcal, 
a  village  grew  up,  taking  its  name  from  the  parish,  and  forming  the  nucleus  of  the 
present  .Sandwich.  The  earlier  name  is  still  represented  in  Assumption  College,  an  im- 
portant Catholic  Seminary  at  .Sandwich.  The  College  stands  upon  a  plot  of  120  acres 
which  was  gi\en  by  the;  Ottawa  and  Huron  Indians  to  Hishop  Hubert,  of  Quebec, 
about  1 781.  Near  L'Assomption  were  settled  the  \\\\andots,  a  remnant  of  the  once 
numerous  Hurons,  and  descended  from  the  few  that  we  saw  escaping  the  Iroquois 
massacres  of   164S-49.     These  disinherited  children  of  the  soil  received   the  spirl.     '  care 


wiir.ur.  TKctiMSKii  sroon  at  hay, 


of  Carthusian  Friars  in  1728,  and  their  "Huron  Church"  became  one  of  the  earliest 
landmarks  for  pilots  on  these  wati'rs.  Together  with  fragments  of  \arious  other  tribes, 
the  Wvandots  afterwards   remo\  ihI    to    the   Indian   Reserve  farther   down    the    hank,    but 


N(  )A'  rUr.RX  XH/ClflU  Vi  1 39 

in  the  form  \\'\andultt.',  tlicir  name  still  survives  across  the  river  in  the  busy  town 
where  yonder  blast-furnaces   and  rolling-mills  k(!ep  the  ri\er    side  in    perpetual  mourning. 

Between  Wyandotte  and  Sandwich  we  pass  I^'iirhting  Island.  I'Vom  the  name 
nii_i,du  be  expected  a  place  bristling-  with  all  the  circumstance  of  war  ;  but  despite  iis 
name  the  island  lies  most  peacefully  basking  and  dozing  in  the  sunshine.  No ;  not 
even  the  Indian  entrenchments  that  were  marked  here  in  the  maps  of  a  century  ago. 
Hut  the  name  incloses  an  uneasy  remembrance  of  the  years  -hen  Vigilance  looked 
out  of  the  dark  windmills  oftener  than  did  Industrj'.  First  there  were  the  Indian 
Wars  and  ambuscades;  then  came  the  War  of  1812;  and  last  of  all  there  was  our 
Rei)elli()n.  The  Detroit  frontier  witnessed  in  those  untpiiet  times  many  bits  of  gal- 
lant work  antl  endless  romantic  incidents ;  but  in  order  to  keep  within  sight  of  our 
artist,  we    must    not    wander    far   atield. 

Windsor  has,  within  less  than  two  centuries,  passed  through  the  phases  of 
virgin  prairie,  riverside  farm,  trading-post  of  the  Nor'-West  Company,  ambitious 
village,  prosperous  town  ;  it  is  now  fast  ripening  into  the  dignity  of  a  city  and 
board  of  aldermen.  The  site  has  witnessed  many  stirring  incidents.  Here  in  Novem- 
ber. I  760,  encamped  the  first  British  troops  that  penetrated  to  these  western  rivers. 
The  Ca[Mtulation  of  Montreal,  two  months  before,  had  transferred  to  England  this 
\ast  Canadian  domain.  Under  Amherst's  orders  Major  Rogers  and  his  Rangers  had 
now  come  to  take  possession  of  I'ort  Pontchartraiii.  Rogers  hatl  sent  in  adxance  to 
the  commandant  a  letter  informing  him  of  tin:  Capitulation,  but  this  was  increilu- 
louslv  received,  and  an  allempl  was  even  made  to  rall\'  llic  Intlians  to  the  rescue. 
Then  came  another  despatch  Irom  Rogers,  who  hail  1)\  this  time  reached  tlu'  mouth 
of  the  Detroit,  -a  cop\  of  the  Capitulation,  and  an  order  from  the  Manjuis  de 
X'aiulreuil  directing  the  surrentler  ol  the  b'ort.  At  the  sight  of  his  Cioxernor-Cieneral's 
aulogra|)h,  pocjr  Captain  Beletre  knew  that  all  was  lost  !  W  lu-rt-  Wimlsor  now  stands 
was  an  open  meadow,  then  torming  part  oi  M.  i^ab\'s  farm.  There  encamped  uiuler 
canxas,  and  eagerl)-  watciiing  the  turn  ol  atlairs  across  the  v'wvx  lay  the  swarthy  Ran- 
gers and  their  famous  coninicUKler.  Presentl)-  a  small  ilelachmenl  formed  among  the 
tents,  aiul  in  charge'  of  two  officers  crossed  over  to  the  i'ort.  Then  the  tragic 
summons.  The  brench  troops  are  now  seen  defiling  on  the  plain  ;  the  /Ic/ir  c^e  //s 
drops  from  the  llagstall  :  the  retl  crt)ss  ol  St.  <  ieorge  s])riiigs  aloft  and  shakes  out  its 
folds    to    the    breeze.      Half    a    continent    has    changed    masters  I 

The  ni'ighbouring  Indians  beheld  with  amazement  the  surrender  of  the  garrison  and 
the  ilisarming  of  the  b'reiich  regulars  aiul  militia.  It  was  incomprehensible  how  so 
man\-  yielded  to  thi'  luuulful  that  took  o\  er  Vandreuil's  tlispatch  ;  still  less,  if  possiljle, 
ccndil  they  understantl  why  the  xancpiished  shoukl  have  their  li\t;s  spared,  na\',  why 
most  of  them  should  \)c  sent  away  in  peace  to  their  tarins.  These  Indians  of 
the    Detroit    passed    over    to    the    winning    siile    with   suspicious  alacrity.      Among  those 


140 


OUR  PICTURESQUE 


who  are  cheeriiio-  the  loudest  for  the  l^ns^hsh  tlag  observe  that  tkisky  muscidar  chief  of 
tile  '^Hlawas,  who  w-ais  an  niuisual  we.ijlh  of  lorn'  black  hair.  Three  \ears  hiiiice 
he   will  (lesperaleK    eiideaxour  lo   pull   that   IUil;'  down.       llis  name   is    Pontiac.      With   him 

the  (jiiestion  is  not  which  of  these  luiro- 
pean  nations  he  loves  the-  more,  i)iit  which 
he  hates  the  less.  1-on^  after  his  death, 
his  spirit  will  stalk  the  forest  in  Tecnmst'li. 
■^;  But    despite    Pontiac's  fierce    beleaguerment 


'^Jk^' J. 


^-^:^ 


-"^  - 


'''^'^^ 


I.OOKINC,     VV    TlIK    'rilAMKS,    (  IlAtllAM. 


of  the  Fort,  the  flavj;^  of  Kn^^dand  will  float  tlu^re  Summer  and  Winter  until  a  con- 
stellation not  at  all  seen  of  the  wise  men  when  George  III.  was  born  will  rise  in 
these    western     skies,     and     perplex     all      the     court    astrologers. 

The  old  farm-house  of  the  liabys  seems  to  have  been  the  first  brick  building  that 
the  Western  District,  -or  for  that  matter  the  Province, — of  Upper  Canada  possessed. 
It     still     survives. — or     was    lately    to    be    seen, ^within    the    limits    of    Wiiulsor.      Under 


NORTHERN  NEIGH liOR  \\\ 

its  rool-tree  General  Hull  established  his  head-quart(;rs  when  he  was  rehearsing  his 
Invasion-farce.  The  farce  was  followed  by  a  more  serious  after-piece, — not  on  the 
play-bill,  —  TVir  surrender  of  Detroit  and  General  Hull, — which  nearly  ended  in  an 
actual  tragedy,  for  the  poor  old  general  was  promptly  court-martialled  by  his  fellow- 
officers,  and  escaped  being  shot  only  through  the  mere  mercy  of  President  Madison. 
The  quiet  of  the  river-side  farm  was  again  broken  in  the  following  year, — this  time  by 
a  soldier  of  different  quality.  Here  in  the  opening  days  of  October,  1813,  on  the  old 
camping-ground  of  Rogers'  Rangers,  were  picketed  General  Harrison  and  his  famous 
mounted  rifles.  At  the  distance  of  seventy  years  we  can  afford  to  examine  the  Ken- 
tuckians  with  more  composure  than  did  our  grandfathers.  Lithe,  athletic  fellows,  antl 
fearless,  every  one;  occasionally  savage,  but  often  chivalrous;  such  as  might  have  sat  to 
Fenimore  Cooper  for  his  portrait  of  Leat/ier-stoekino.  Head  turbaned  with  a  handker- 
chief of  bright  colors, — blue,  red,  or  yellow  ;  hunting-frock  and  trowsers  of  leather, — the 
trowsers  gaily  fringed  with  tassels.  Not  cavalr)-,  as  we  understand  cavalry,  and  therefore 
no  sabre;  rather,  as  Harrison  himself  described  them,  "mounted  infantry."  They  were 
armed  with  well-tried  riries  :  and  for  close  and  desperate  service  against  the  Intlians 
they  carried  in  their  belts  the  horrid  knife  anil  tomahawk.  Just  now  their  immediate 
business  in  Canada  was  to  pursue  Proctor,  who  had  latel\  made  a  disastrous  in- 
vasion of  Michigan,  and  now,  abandoning  the  Canadian  frontier  to  tlu'  enemy,  had 
retreated  to  the  Thames.  In  a  council  of  war  at  Amherstburg,  the  Indian  chief 
recumseh  had  in  vain  tried  1)\-  tlu^  most  scornful  reproaches  to  goad  this  faineant 
into  a  show  of  action.  Hut  a  disastrous  naval  engagement  had  only  eight  days 
bt^fore  occurred  within  distinct  hearing,  and  almost  within  sight  of  Port  Maiden.  PVom 
the  shores  that  overhang  the  lake  at  the  mouth  of  the  Detroit,  the  English  and 
the  American  flotillas  were  seen  to  be  manoeuvring  among  the  Bass  Islands, — each 
commander  plainly  trying  to  get  the  weather-gage  or  some  other  fighting  advantage 
of  the  other.  An  unnatural  strife  between  nations  of  the  same  flesh  and  blood ;  nay, 
between  mother  and  son,  -an  arrogant  mother  and  an  inconsiderate  son, — altogether 
such  a  drama  as  wouki  haxc  satislietl  the  old  Greek  tragedians.  It  was  the  tenth 
of     September.        Just    as    the    sun    was    getting    overhead,    Harcla)'"s    squadron    was    seen 

to     engage     the     American     fleet,     "  l)\-    giving     a     few    long    guns,"    to    which    Perry    re- 

i 
sponded    with    promptitude    and    extreme    vigour.     A    vast    rolling  curtain  of    smoke  then 

felt  on  the  stage,  but  the  incessant  roar  of  artiller)-  behind,  sufficlentl)-  told  the  specta- 
tors that  the  P"uries  were  hurr)ing  on  this  ()rt;stean  drama  to  its  tragic  close.  Latei 
in  the  afternoon  the  curtain  slowl)-  lifted,  and  a  funeral  procession  was  disclosed 
passing  across  the  stage,  -the  procession  of  the  dead  and  of  tliose  who  still  lay 
writhing  on  the  decks  in  the  agonies  of  death.  The  two  fleets  offered  a  sorry 
spectacle, — notably    the    captive    English    ships    which    brought  up  the  wake. 

This    naval    reverse    would    under    Brock's   genius   and    wonderful   resource  have  per- 


142  OUR   PICTURESOrE 

haps  beconit'  only  thr  dark  Ijack^round  to  some  brilliant  feat  of  arms;  but  Brock 
hal  fallen  on  Oueenston  Ht-ii^hts,  and  a  niilitar\-  artist  of  another  (|uality  had  now 
succeeded.  i'roctor  called  a  council  of  war  and  proposed  io  destro)'  I'orts  Maiden 
and  Detroit,  burn  \.\\  all  public  property,  and  then  retreat  on  Niagara,  thus  lea\insr 
to  the  discretion  of  the  invader  o\-er  two  hundred  miles  of  countr\-  with  its  towns 
and  farmsteads  and  Intlian  villat^es.  Amonij  the  officers  present  at  the  council  was 
the  lamous  chieftain  and  orator  Tecumseh,  or  Tecumtha,  as  his  name  was  pro- 
nounced, —who  ranked  as  briijadier-ij^eneral  of  the;  Indian  auxiliaries.  His  intluence 
amon_i;-  the  native  races  was  boundless.  Hy  the;  Indians  throuj^hout  the  valleys  of 
the  Missouri  and  Mississi])pi  and  still  away  northward  to  the  (^reat  Lake-Land, 
Tecumseh  was  regarded  as  the  mis^hty  deliverer  who  would  restore  the  children  of 
the  soil  to  their  birthrij^ht  and  heritage.  His  mission  was  betokened  by  signs  in 
heaven  and  awful  tremblings  of  the  earth.  The  great  comet  that  appeared  in  tin; 
autumn  of  iSii  was  but  Tt'cumseh's  terrible  arm  stretched  across  the  sky,  kiiulling 
at  nightfall  on  every  hill  top  signal-fires  for  the  great  Indian  War.  In  the  Chief- 
tain's absence  Cieneral  Harrison  marched  to  the  Wabash  ami  defeated  the  warriors 
who  had  already  obeyed  this  celestial  summons.  The)-  were  commaniled  \^\  Te- 
cumseh's  twin  brother  the  Prophet,  ami  they  attacked  the  "  Hig-Kni\es  "  as  the)- 
called  the  Americans — with  such  terrific  onset,  that  this  victory  of  ri|)pecanoe  cost 
Harrison  several  of  his  best  officers.  A  month  afterwards,  the  \alleys  of  the  Missouri 
and  Mississippi  were  \iolentl\-  shaken  1)\'  an  earth(|uake.  To  tlu'  excited  and  im- 
aginative Indians  the  earth{|uake  was  but  the  stamping  of  Tecumseh's  foot  to  announce, 
as  he  had  promised,  his  arrival  at  the  Detroit  Ri\er.  The  shocks  continut'd  all  the 
winter  long,  and  these  were  other  signals,  not  understf)od  of  white  men,  b\'  which 
Tecumseh  was  preparing  his  people  for  stirring  e\-enls.  The  outbreak  of  the  Anglo- 
American  war  in  June,  sufficiently  explained  to  not  a  few  of  the  border  |)ioneers,  as 
well  as  to  the  Indians,  this  uneasiness  of  earth  and  sk)'  :  it  was  now  abumlanth- 
plain    what    the    comet    and    earthcpiakes    portendetl  !      During    the    first    gear's    campaign, 

Tecumseh's  exploits  stirred  the  loilge-fires  along  the  Mississippi  ami  the  bivouacs  on 
both  sides  of  the  Detroit.  Hut  with  Brock's  death  everything  went  wrong  in  the 
west,      brom   being  fearlessly  aggressive  the    British   tactics  hatl   become  timidly  defensive. 

The  champion  ol  the  red-men  ncnv  actually  heard  in  a  council  of  war,  and  from  the 
lips  of  an  Lnglish  general,  a  projjosal  to  abandon  the  whole  Indian  population  to 
the  mercy  of  ritlemen  who  might  not  )et  have  forgotten, — for  it  was  but  nine  months 
ago, — the    massacre    of    their    comrades    at    the    Raisin. 

Tecumseh  arose.  As  he  drew  himself  u|)  to  his  full  height,  his  powerful  hut 
linely-moukled  form  was  seen  to  advantage  in  a  close-fitting  dress  of  deer-skin.  A 
magnificent  plume  of  white  ostrich  feathers  waved  on  his  brow,  and  contrasted 
strongly    with    his    dusky    features.       His    piercing    hazel    eyes    Hashed     with    a    wild    and 


A'OA'77//:A\V  NEIGHBOR  143 

terrililc  l)rilliancy,  forming  a  spectacle  which  the  officers  of  the  Council  never  forgot. 
With  withering  scorn  he  related  how  the  Indians  had  served,  and  had  been  served  ; 
and  thunderetl  out  the  fiercest  denunciations  of  Proctor's  cowardice  and  treachery. 
Tecumseh  felt  that  he  was  the  last  of  the  great  Indian  Chiefs,  and  the  last  hope 
of  his  people;  he  had  resolved  either  to  justify  that  hope,  or  to  show  the  world 
liow  the  last  of  the  great  Indian  Chiefs  could  die.  The  peroration  of  the  remon- 
strance adilresstnl  to  Proctor  contains  the  last  recorded  words  of  Tecumseh  :  "  Vou 
ha\e  got  the  arms  and  ammunition  which  our  great  fatlier  sent  for  his  red-children. 
If  you  have  an\-  idea  of  going  away,  give  them  X.o  us,  and  you  ma\'  go  witli  a 
welcome!  Our  li\(S  \W(\  in  the  hands  of  the  Great  Spirit.  We  are  determined  to 
defend    our    lands,    and,    if    it    is    his    will,    we    wish    to    leave    our    bones    upon    them." 

The  council  of  war  was  for  a  time  completely  borne  away  by  the  wild  rush  of 
this  native  ehxjuence.  The  British  officers  were  powerful!)'  affc'cted.  The  e.\citement 
of  t!ie  Intlian  Chiefs  was  uncontrollable.  As  soon  as  he  could  get  a  liearing. 
Proctor  faltered  out  a  promise  that  he:  would  make  a  stand,  if  not  at  Cliatham. 
certainly  at  Moravianlown,  an  Indian  \i!lage  up  the  Thames,  where  lived  many  of 
Tecumseh's    Delaware    Indians.       On      this    clear    und(,'rstanding    t!u:    cliieftain    gave  wa\'. 

The  line;  of  retreat  from  the  Detroit  takes  us  along  the  shore  of  Lake  .St. 
Clair  to  Baptiste  Creek  near  the  mouth  of  the  Tliames  ;  there  crossing  the  main 
river  we  follow  llic;  retreating  an  n'  along  tlie  nortli  bank  and  througli  grt;at  forests 
as  yet  scarcely  traversed  by  a  formal  road;  antl  so  reacli  Chatham  ami  Moraxian- 
town. 

Along  the  Canadian  l)order  of  Lake  .St.  Clair  and  for  more  than  a  dozen  miles 
l)ack  from  its  present  margin  is  a  d(;ep  stratum  of  rich  c!a\'  silt,  marking  tlie  area 
of  an  older  l)asin.  Througli  this  alluvial  belt  the  Thames  and  .Sydenham  creep 
with  a  drows\-  motion,  l)Ut  at  the  northern  i-nd  of  the  lake  the  current  of  the  .St, 
Clair  RivLT  lias  ploug!ie<l  out  for  itself  numerous  channels  and  foriiu'd  a  delta  wliich 
is  familiar  to  (,'\er\-  Canadian  si)ortsman  as  ///('  .SV.  Clair  hlats.  'This  old  lake  nuid 
has  a  marrowy  fatness  that  strongly  commentls  it  in  our  da\-  to  the  farmers  of 
I'lsse.x,  Kent,  anil  Lambton ;  but  it  has  withal  a  lingering  tenacity  that  would  not 
recoiumend  it  to  fugitix'es.  .SevtMity  \ears  ago  the  country  on  the  lower  Thames 
was  still  an  imbrokeii  prairie  rareb'  invatled  except  by  the  oxcrllowing  ri\er.  Near 
Chatham  the  river-banks  lifti'd,  and  you  entered  the  ancient  catlu-dral  of  the  forest 
with  its  solemn  twilight,  its  resinous  incense,  and  its  rich  murmuring  music.  Lordly 
trees  that  had  possession  of  the  soil  long  centuries  before;  Champlain.  or  Cartier.  or 
Cabot  touched  our  shores,  towered  aloft  in  stupendous  columns,  and  branched  out 
a  hundred  feet  overhead  with  domes  or  archways,  with  such  a  wealth  of  foliage 
that  tlu;  sun  was  subdued  to  a  "dim  religious  light"  and  the  undergrowth  was 
often    no    more    than    a     lilagree    of     mosses     and     lichens.       .Amid    the    gloom    of    those 


144 


o(7^:  ricriRiisijrh: 


A     row     (IN     I, A  Kb:    SI'.    Cl.All 


forest  aiTliways  a  whoU:  army  couKl  fiinl  retreat,  and  inarch  uiKihservetl  day  after 
day.  Iiiil  tlu'ii  those  aisles  were  so  spacious  that  fifteen  huiKhx-d  caxalry  niiy^ht 
])ursiie  at  a  L;aio[),  and  scarce!)'  shick  rein  all  day  long, — a  most  sc:rious  contingency 
in  the  I'all  days  of  iSi  ;.  At  sunrise,  anil  still  more  at  sunset,  a  suddtMi  glory  lit 
up  the  forest.  And  if,  like  many  anxious  e)'es,  \'ours  had  been  directed  to  the 
ex'cning  sk\'  on  the  fourth  ol  October,  sow  would  ha\'e  seen  a  spectacle  of  inde- 
scribalile  magnificence.  The  forest  minster  was  lighted  up  even  to  its  cr\'pts.  The 
great  mullioned  windows  to  thi;  west  glowed  with  a  iier)'  splendour  which  warmed 
to  flame  the  scarlet  maple-leaves  that  strewed  the  floor.  Altogether  such  a 
wild  sunset  as  might  befit  the  going  out  of  a  fiery  life.  In  our  Indian  (.Irania 
the  trilogy  consists  of  Pontiai\  /h-aii/,  Tcciiinsch, — each  boklly  confronting  b'ate,  and 
welding  into  a  U;ague  the  native  races  of  half  the  continent.  I'^or  Tecumseh  the 
last    sun    was    now    setting. 

Chatham    witnessed     the    first    conflict.        The    prosperous    county-town    of    our    day 
is    the     growth     of     i\\c.    last     tiftv    vears,    but     we     have    already     seen     that    Governor 


\(  V;  llll-:i<X  XI-.IGIIIiON 


'45 


11  IK    ST.     (I, A  IK    (AN  A  I,. 


Sinicoc  li.id  the  river-sou m I inL,fs  taken  in  179,1, 
and  a  l()\vn-])I()t  surveyed  in  1795.  Iredell's 
autoyjraph  plan  is  preserxt'd  in  the  Crown 
l.amls  Department  ot  Ontario;  and  it  is  mi- 
dent  that  oil  />a/>rr  the  town  immediately  south  ol  the  Thames  has  subsisted  un- 
chaiiu;ed  for  nearly  ninet\-  \ears.  A  full  stream  oi  business  now  (lows  through  Kin.L; 
Stre'et,  wiiose  windings  form  a  picturescpie  reminiscence'  oi  the  old  ri\i'r-road,  and 
of  the  ancient  Indian  trail  ihrouL;h  the  forest.  'I'hc  tine  a\enue  by  which  we  ascenti 
from    the    river-siele    to    the    northern    ijuartc;r    ot    the     town    betra\s  in    its     straight    lines 

another  centur\ ,  and  a  generation 
ot  rectans^iilar  taste.  In  Simcoe's 
da\'  the  Thames  was  here  tifteen 
to  twenty  feet  deep,  ami  it  was 
joined  at  an  acute  am^K'  by  a 
"creek"  which,  thouL;h  no  more 
than  thirt\  or  forty  ivvX  wide, 
was  ten  or  twcKc  fei-t  in  depth. 
The  tract  incloseil  between  the 
"  b'orks  "  has  in  our  time  Ijeeii  re- 
planted with  trees,  and  in  pioper 
remembrance  of  a  bra\-e  all\'  and 
a  remarkable  man,  it  has  been 
named  Tecumsch  Park.  With  mil- 
itary instinct  Simcoe  set  aside  as 
an  ordnance  reserve;  the  penin- 
CLUH  HOUSE,   .ST.  CLAIR  !•  LATS.  suUi     thus    moated    by    nature    on 


''^^^^v. 


146 


OUR   PICTL'Rh:SQ(jH 


two  sides.  In  1794.  lie  built  on  the  nortli  face  a  block-housc!,  and  under  tlic 
shadow  of  its  ilJihis  Ik;  set  one  Maker,  who  had  worked  in  the  Kiiii^'s  sliip-yard  at 
lirooklyn, — to  create  a  lake  flotilla.  l'"i\(;  s^ini-hoats  were  put  immediately  on  the 
stocks,  hut  owiiij;-  to  llu;  (iovernor's  withdrawal  from  Canada  Itis  scheini's  Itll  into 
disorder.  Three  of  Simcoe's  ^un-boats  were  nevc-r  e\'en  launcheil,  but  rotted  a\va\ 
unuseil  on  tiu:  stocks.  Had  that  brave  old  sea-doi;-  liarclay  had  e\-en  one  such  boat 
wluMi  the  llatj-ship  Ltu^n-ciuc  struck  her  colours  to  his  lire,  his  j.jana.il  opponent  Perry 
wouUl  scarcely  be  just  now  coverintr  Harrison's  advance  by  runnini;-  United  States 
nun-boats  up  to  Chatham.  .After  twent\'  years,  tin;  town  had  '.^(^\.  no  farther  than 
a    paper    plan.       .As     Harrison's     horse    came     thundering    along    through     the    .lisles    of 


Ai.oiNc   rill':  SI'.  ei.AiR  ii.ai.s. 


sugar-maple  that  Hanked  the  south  bank  of  the  Thames,  thes(.'  Kentuckians  would 
have  been  much  surprised  to  learn  that  they  were  galloping  over  what  were, 
officially  speaking,  houses  and  churches.  Hut  it  is  to  be  doubted  whether  this 
startling  thought  would  have  disconcerted  them  half  as  much  as  did  the  riHe-shots 
which  suddenly  rang  out  from  among  the  trees  on  the  north  bank  ami  on  Simcoe's 
reserve,  emptying  some"  of  their  saddles.  Tecumseh  had  vainly  ri^commended  this 
vantage-ground  to  Proctor:  our  remarkable  strategist  preferred  that  all  his  military 
stores  shoukl  be  captiu'cd  at  Chatham  rather  than  ventun^  a  brush  with  Harrison's 
cavalry,  of  which  he  had  already  got  some  experience  in  Michigan.  No  more  of 
Harrison's  horse-pla\-  for  him  ;  Proctor  had  lost  all  taste  for  such  dixersion  ;  he- 
was  already  twenty-six  miles  u|)  the  rountr\-,  anil  had  left  no  instructions.  'i"he 
gallant  Indian  Chief,  would,  for  the  sake  of  the  Canadians,  he  had  been  Commander- 
in-Chief! — then    umlertook,    with    such     poor     means     as    h(^    had    at     hand,    to    stop    the 


NORTHERN  NEIGfTBOR  147 

tide  of  invasion.  Like  lloratius  in  the  brave  clays  of  old,  he  heat  l)aik  the  enemy 
until  the  iiridije  across  the  moat  could  he  hewn  away.  Hut  Horatius  nt^ver  fought 
a>,fainst  six-pounder  cannon  ;  such  a  balistd  would  have  staj^^^ered  iIk;  nohlest  Roman 
of    them    all.        The    hrid^c    was    rehmlt,    and    the    tide    of    invasion    rollcnl    on. 

In  ascending  the  Thames  two  generations  a^'o.  your  hoal  would  not  ha\i'  hcen 
much  eml)arrassed  hy  hrid^cs.  l-ntil  1S16  tiiere  was  no  means  of  crossing  the 
main  channel  even  at  Chatham.  The  tine  iron  structure  that  now  spans  the  ri\-er 
some  ten  miles  farther  u|),  would  \xa\(\  seeim;d  to  Dolson,  to  Clarke  the  milK'r,  and 
to  the  other  pioneers  on  the  hank  a  far  !:;r('ater  marxcl  than  the  llani^dnsj;'  (lardeiis 
of  Mah\Ion.  Soon  alter  passiiii^  the  sit(;  of  the  future  Kt;nt  MridL;c  we  should  have- 
touched  the  western  skirts  of  tlu;  1-on^'  Woods,  -a  parkdike  forest  stretchint^"  un- 
hroken  for  fort\  miles  \\y  the  Thames,  and  covering'  i()0,ooo  acres.  i5ridle-palhs 
through  it  there  were  mail)',  hut  carriaL;(;  or  waijon  roads  there  were  none.  The 
present  village  of  Thamesxille  marks  the  west('rn  etlt^e  of  this  romantic  wilderness, 
and  the  xiUa^'e  of  I  )elaware  la\'  on  its  eastern  skirts.  In  the  \cr\-  heart  of  it  was 
a  solitary  hut  cheerful  inn  kept  h\'  a  quaint  okl  sold,  who  provided  in  his  hotel 
register  a  column  tor  the  ad\cntures  of  his  i^uests  in  the  I.ouil;-  Woods.  Ills  name, 
either  intentionalK'  or  accident.illy,  is  embalmed  in  /^'(?/vA :'///(■.  This  vast  solitude 
was  rareh'  broken  except  l)\'  Indian'^.  Ihey  came  to  tish  at  nij^ditfall  with  torch  and 
spear  on  the  Thames  ;  or,  launching;"  their  tire-rafts  on  autumn  nights,  the\-  would 
linht  u[)  in  wild  relief  the  river-banks  and  the  ilark  archways  of  the  forest,  while 
the  (gentle  deer,  startled  from  their  sleep  and  fascinated  hy  the  lij^ht.  would  draw 
within  raiiL;'!'  of  the  Indian  ritle.  Moravian  missioiKUMes  settk'd  in  this  wilderness  in 
1702,  and  the  Indian  not  seldom  i^ratted  on  the  lessons  of  the  Moravians  his  own 
wild-wood  fancies.  llowison  spent  the  Christmas-Xiuhl  of  iSig  at  the  hostelry  in  the 
Loul;'  Wootls,  and  hail  an  interesting-  atK'enture  :  -"  When  it  was  midni<^dit  I  walked 
out  and  strolleil  in  the  wooils  contii;iious  to  the  house.  A  glorious  moon  had  now 
ascemleil  to  the  summit  of  the  arch  of  heaven  and  poured  a  perpeiulicular  tlooil  of 
liL;ht  upon  the  silent  worKl  below.  The  starry  hosts  sparkled  brightly  wlum  they 
emerjj^ed  above  the  horizon,  hut  L^radualh'  faded  into  twinkling  points  as  thev  rose 
in  the  skv.  The  motionless  tre(,'s  stretched  their  majestic  houghs  towanls  a  cloiKftess 
t'irmament  ;  and  tlie  rustling  of  a  witheri'tl  leaf,  or  the  ilistant  howl  of  the  wolf, 
alone  broke  upon  my  ear.  I  was  sucKlenlv  roused  from  a  delicious  reverie  hy 
observing  a  ilark  object  moving  slowl\  and  i:autiousl\-  among  the  trees.  .At  first  I 
fancieil  it  was  a  hear,  but  a  nearer  ins|jection  ilisco\-ereil  an  Indian  on  all  fours. 
I"or  a  moment  1  felt  unwilling  to  throw  nnsclf  in  his  wa\'.  lest  he  should  be 
meditating  some  sinister  design  against  me  :  however,  on  his  wa\  ing  his  hand  and 
putting  his  finger  on  his  lips.  I  approached  him,  and  notwithstamling  has  injunction 
to    sil(!nce,    iiupiiri'd    wiuit    he    did    there.       '  .Me    watch    to    see    the     deer    kneel,'    replied 


14S 


(UK   /vr/Y  AVf.SVjr/:- 


;i^xva\5k  . 


IKOM     SAKMA    TO    l.AKK     IIIKO.N. 


.\r)A' /•///:' A'.\'   X/'/Cff/U^R  140 

he :  '  This  is  Christinas-Nijjjht,  and  all  the  deer  fall  on  iIkmi-  knees  to  the  Gr(;at 
Spirit,  anil  look  up.'  The  solemnity  of  llu:  si:(Mie,  and  tin;  ifranilnir  of  the  idea, 
alike  contributed  to  fill  nie  with  awe.  It  was  afftictintf  to  liml  traces  of  the  Chris- 
tian   faith    existinjLj    in    such    a    place,    even    in    the    form    of    such    a    tradition." 

A  \\\\l\\  plain,  \vf)0(lcd  with  white  oak,  lay  luar  the  north  hank  of  the  river 
between  the  present  rh.uncsvilK;  and  Hothwell.  .Vrrivin^;  here  in  Ma\',  1792,  four 
Moravians  estal)lishcd  an  outpost  in  the  Cnnadian  wiKls,  as,  str\'enty  years  before,  tlu; 
"Watch  of  the  Lord  "  had  bicn  (established  amon^j  Count  Zinzendorf's  oaks  on  tlu: 
llutbern'.  .Simcoc  was  hospitably  entertained  at  the  Mission  while  he  was  explorinjLj 
the  Thames  in  i  "q.V  l'<"  l)ecam(.'  much  interested  in  the  si'cular  aspect  of  the  en- 
lcri)rise  and  th<'  effort  to  lead  the  aborigines  to  a_Lrricultural  pursuits,  A  few  months 
later,  he  reserved  for  these  Moravian  Indians  a  plot  of  more  than  lifty  thousand 
acres,  occupyinjr  both  sides  of  tlur  Thames  and  formin<^  the  old  township  of  ()rforil 
in  the  now  extinct  county  of  Suffolk.  It  was  a  picturestpie  inciik'iU  for  the  iiuro|)ean 
to  find  jrrowinn  up  under  the  shelter  of  a  Canadian  forest  the  anti(]ue  usaj^'es  of 
the  ninth  century  and  of  the  Byzantine  Christian  Church  :  -the  social  separation  into 
"choirs"  accortlin<f  to  iv^v  anti  sex;  the  "bands,"  "classes,"  and  at^ti/ycc :  the  celebration 
at  the  j,rrave-yard  of  an  l''.aster-morn,  ami  the  roll-call  of  the  recent  dead ;  the  \  ij^dl 
of  the  New  Year;  the  announceinent.  not  with  tollini;"  bell,  but  with  trimipets  and 
pagans,  when  one  of  the  brethren  had  passeil  from  earth, — for  hail  he  not  won  a 
victory,— a  trium))!!  over  the  last  enemy,  Death?  By  1 S 1 ;,  the  .Mission  had  j^^athered 
around  it  a  hundred  houses.  The  sandy  loam  on  both  sides  of  the  ri\er  had  be- 
come fields  of  waiviny^  maize;  man\-  oi  the  Indian  dwellinti's  iiestled  in  beautiful  wardens 
and  orchards.  'Thirty-three  years  after  fire  and  sword  had  <riven  i)ack  this  village  to 
the  wilderness,  Colonel  Homncastle  found  still  distinctl)-  traci'able  the  orchards  of  the 
Moravian  pioneers.  'The  northern  half  of  Orford  'Township  has  passed  from  the  hands 
of  the  Moravians  and  received  the  name  ol  Zone  ;  the  .Moraxiantown  of  our  day 
occupies    the    south    side    of    the    river. 

General  Tlarrison  forded  the  'Thames  twelve  miles  below  the  Mission,  mountinof 
a  foot-soldier  behind  every  cavalier  as  in  the  first  days  of  'Templar  Knio;hthood.  'The 
military  details  of  the  battle  near  Moraviantown  need  not  here  be  pursued.  'The 
K-ntral  incident  is  the  death  of  the  i^^reat  Indian  Chief,  which  must  always  retain  an 
unfading  interest.  It  were  eas\-  for  Tecumseh.  with  his  perfect  knowkedoe  of  the  black- 
ash  jungle  where  he  stood,  to  have  made  good  his  escape  ;  but  to  this  lordl\-  son 
nf  the  ferest,  — this  .savage,  if  you  will, — there  were  things  far  clearer  than  life.  His 
si'If-respect  forbade  him  to  imitate  the  example  of  his  commander-in-chief  who  was 
now  spurring  through  the  October  leaves  toward  Hurlington  Tieights.  After  Proctor 
'lad  fled  the  field,  'Tecumseh,  disdaining  the  protection  of  the  marsh,  advanced  towards 
the    American     cavalrj-    and    eagerly    sought     out    the    commander    that    had    broken    the 


»50 


oc7^  /'/(rrA'/-:s(.)(7: 


rinl  man's  strciiL^th  at  ri|)i)ccaii()c.  With  tlic  fierce  onset  of  the  natlxc  paiuher, — 
from  which  reeiimseh  l^oi.  his  name, — he  spranjLj  at  a  moimteil  olticer  whom  he  sup- 
posed   (ieneral     llarrisoii.       I  lie    ott'icer    (h'ew    a    pistol    and    the     Indian    Lhiel     tell    tleail. 

Vhr  Anierit-an  oltici-rs  who  opposed  TcH-uinseh  in  the  eoinuil  and  in  the  tield,  ha\c 
recorded  how  proloimdl\-  he  inipri'ssed  them  hy  his  majestx  ol  ilcineanonr  and  h)  his 
hauL;hl\  elocpiencn- ;  and  the}-  ha\e  related  how,  e\cn  in  death,  he  looked  a  Kint^', — 
"  a\ ,  (.•ver\"  inch  a  Kin^."  H\'  the  l'",ni;lish  Ih.nnes,  as  wll  as  I)\  the  Canadian,  there 
is  a  storv  of  a  native  chief  who  deh'nded  his  people's  himtinL;-.nronnds  against  an 
alien  invader.  Cassivellaunus  has.  ihroui^h  the  pen  ol  Casar.  secured  a  permanent 
|)lace  in  historv.  .Some  of  the  most  learned  scholars  ol  Muiope  liave  devoted  them- 
seKi's  to  ascertaininj^'  where  this  naked  savage  ilrove  stakes  int(.  the  hed  of  the  riianics. 
\ Ct  how  insi^nit  carit  the  ancient  liriton's  theatre  ol  action,  or  his  federation  ol  clans, 
when  compared  with  the  held  traxcrsed  li\  Tecumseh,  or  with  the  interests,  Indian  and 
Imperial,  that  were  in  !iis  keeping-.  Ihii  .inti(|uity,  -that  glamour  ol  classical  anti(piily  I 
The  hattle-lield  at  Moraviantown  remained  uncleared  till  i  S4(),  when  it  yiekled  to 
the  plough  numerous  memorials  ol  the  conlhct.  Immediatel\'  north  of  the  marsh 
were  some  hiack-walnut  trei's  hearing'  carxcd  emblems,  an  ea^le,  turtle,  horse,  and 
other  hieroLi^lyphics.  Ihis  heraKlr\-  would  ha\  e  pu/zled  darter  Kim^-al-Arms,  who 
was  i^erfectlv  at  i-asi;  amon^'  hoars'  heads,  hears  and  ra^^'ed  staffs,  blood)-  hands,  and 
the  other  refinements  of  media-xal  heraUlry.  Hut  the  ea^le,  and  the  tin-tle.  and  the 
horse  were  full  of  meanini^-  for  two  a^cd  Shawnees  who  had  fought  b\  Tecumseh's  side 
and  had  afterwards  carxcd  on  the  walnuts  these  emblems  to  mark  with  deepest 
vtMieration  the  sjjot  wh(;ri;  the  last  hope  of  so  many  Indian  nations  expired.  The  old 
settlers  relate  that  often  at  twilit^ht  these  .Shawnee  warriors  mi^ht  ha\c  been  seen 
stealing-  to  the  place.  Kemaininn'  there  ''or  hours  in  the  d.u'kness.  ami  with  a  silence 
unbroken  except  by  ihi'  si^hiuL;  of  the  ni^ht-winil  throm^h  the  ai^cd  walnut-trees,  the)' 
would  meditate  on  the  life  and  death  of  the  last  ^reat  repri'sentati\-e  of  tlu;  Indian 
race.  To  the  inex|)ressible  ^rief  of  these  |)oor  Indians,  and  with  a  most  barbarous 
disregard  of  the  sanctit)-  ol    the  place,  the  walnut-trees  were  hewn  down,  and   the   sceiu'  ol 

Tecumseh's  death  has  been  thout^ht  irreco\-erabl\  lost.  liut  while  seanhini^  the  rec-ords  ol 
the  Crown  1, amis'  department  of  (  )ntario,  we  have  disco\-ered  that  in  the  sur\('\  ol  /one 
made;  in  1S45  b)  I).  .Spriiij^cr,  the  pn-cise  s|)ot  was  ascertaineil  and  recorded  in  the 
.Surve\()r's  plan  and  lield-notes,  with  bearin;.^s  and  distances.  lU  a  straiiLjc  oversight, 
discreditai)l<'    to  our    national    i.^ratitude,    the    lot, — No.    4,    in     the    old    "(lore    ol    /one, 

--was  not  reserveti  as  |)ublic  propc  rt\-,  nor  an\  memorial  erected.  Hut  e\cn  at  this 
late  hour  we  should  bethink  ourselves  of  what  is  due  to  the  meinor\-  ol  Tecnmseh. 
A  romantic  histor\  still  surrounds  the  place  of  his  burial.  It  would  seem  that  the 
l)od\  was  furtivi'l)  buried  b)'  ;i  few  of  his  warriors,  and  the  st:cret  lonfitled  to  onl\ 
the    leading     Indian    chiefs        In    iS;0    much    interest   was  arousi^d  by  the  alleged   discio- 


Ac )A' rilF.RX   XI'.I(lIfr>OR 


1  =^I 


sure  of  till'  secret,  and  a  search  undertaken.  Owin^  to  the  excit<'nient  ot  the 
huhans  the  search  was  leniporai'iK'  ihscontinned  ;  and  when  it  was  ri'sunieil,  l)()nes  and 
weapons  weri-  found  which  certain!)'  were  not  recuinseh's,  l)ut  are  h\  nian\'  hehexfd 
to  ha\e  been  si)ecially  sulistituted  for  the  chietlain's.  So  tin-  niysler\  remains  as  he- 
fore,  and  on  Tecuinsiih's  cenotaph  may  be  inscrilx^d  tlu;  words  spoken  of  the 
,nicient    hiwtd\(;r,    "  No    man    knoweth    of    his    si-pulchre    unto    this    (hi\." 

.SV.  C'ia/'r.  Lake  and  Kivcr,  should,  according  to  l,a  Salle's  intention,  he  spelled 
Sitiiiff  t/(i/ri\  With  his  pioneer  merchantman,  the  (in'/jiji.  La  Salle  entered  the  Lakt' 
on  the  twelfth  ot  .August,  lOjc).  It  was  the  da\',  as  I'"ather  lieiinepin  would  doubt- 
less remind  him.  dedicated  to  .Sancta  Clara,  -in  I'rench,  Sainte  ("laire,  to  her  who 
was  once  the  loveU'  Clara  d'.Xssisi,  antl  who  afterwards  became  Abbess  of  San 
Damiano  and  the  foundress  ot  the  ()rder  of  the  Looi-  Cl.U'es.  .She  died  in  iJ5,v  anil 
the  b'stixal  is  kept  on  the  anniversary  of  her  burial.  Hut  when  Canada  ]iasseil  oxer 
to  i'",iiL;land,  a  general  debilitx'  overtook  the  old  I'rench  names  in  the  West,  and  the\' 
cIuul;'  for  support  to  the  nearest  JMiolish  word,  whatever  it  mi^ht  sionif\-.  Xow  it 
happened  that  .S'/.  Clair  became,  in  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  a  lamiliar  name  in 
.Ameriu'  through  Sir  John  .St.  Clair,  Ih'aildock's  ileput\-  quartermaster-general;  and 
then,  towards  the  vx\(\  of  the  centur),  Cieiieral  Arthur  .St.  Clair  held  the  command 
against  the  Indians  in  the  West.  The  name  of  the  lake  and  ri\er  would  naturalK  be 
associated  with  these  military  otticers  1)\  the  first  two  venerations  of  I'.ni^lish  pio- 
neers in  Canada.  This  contusion  became  utter  disorder  when  the  form  Siiulair 
River  received  othcial  sanction  from  .Surve)or-CJeneral  .Snnth's  (.iazcttccr  of  I'ppcr 
C  '(!//<!</(/,    in     I  7t)C). 

At  the  \er\  gateway  of  the  Lake  there  is  an  islet  which  |)ossesses  historical  in- 
terest. In  our  da)  it  bears  the  name  of  i'each  Island;  this  arose  from  a  miscon- 
ception of  the  I'rench  //r  ()  la  Rctlic,  — "  I'ishint^  Island."  Lake  Huron  has  <;enerall)- 
been  regarded  as  the  homestead  of  the  white  lish  ;  but  in  the  Indian  I'poch  and  in 
pioneer  times  the  ri\er  islands  were  the  laxourite  resorts  of  lishermen,  red  or  pale- 
faced.  In  countless  m\  riads  white  lish  tlocked  towards  the  throat  of  Lake  St. 
Clair  to  browse  on  the  minute  water  weeds  and  |)erhai)s  to  pre\-  on  the  small 
molluscs  that  luxuriate  in  its  mudil)-  shoals.  The  tish  would  be  borne  into  tlu' 
eddies  that  swirl  around  the  river  islands,  and  thus  fall  an  eas)  pre)-  to  the 
Indian  scoop-net.  Towards  the  close  ot  the  I'"rench  rco;i)in\  lie  a  la  Leche 
acknowledged  as  its  lord  a  lisherman  ot  most  uncommon  craft.  I  lis  name  was 
i'ontiac,  the  same  whom  we  heard  applaud  lustil\-  the  raisini;'  of  the  red-cross  tla^ 
at  hi'troit.  The  historian  I'arkman  i^ixes  us  a  \i\id  picture  of  this  tamous  chief- 
tain's summer  rende/\ous:  "Standing  on  the  water  bastion  of  Detroit,  a  pleasant 
landscajje  spread  before  the  e)e.  The  ri\er,  about  half  a  mile  wide,  almost  washed 
the    foot    of    the  stockade  ;    and    eilhi-r    l)ank    w.is    lined    with    the     white     Canadian    cot- 


OCR    /"(7'rA'/{S()(7: 


tages.  The  joyous  sparklint:^  of 
the  hrioht  hluc  water  ;  the  i^^'ccn 
luxuriance  of  the  woods ;  tlie 
white  dwelhnt^s  looking;  out 
from  the  foHage ;  anil  in  the  distance 
the  Indian  wiy^wams  curlinj^  their  smoke 
against  thij  sky, — all  were  mingled  in 
one  broad  scene  of  wild  and  rural 
beauty.  Pontiac,  the  Satan  of  this 
forest  paradise.  was  accustomed  to 
spend  ihe  earl\'  part  of  the  summer 
upon  p.  ;;mall  ishuul  at  the  opening  of 
the  Lake  St.  Clair,  h.idden  from  \  iew  by 
the  high  woods  that  covered  the  inter- 
vening Isle  au  Cochon.  'The  king  and 
lord  of  all  this  countr\,'  as  Rogers 
calls  him,  li\eil  in  no  royal  state.  His 
cabin  was  a  small  oven-shaped  structure 
of  bark  and  rushes.  Here  he  dwelt 
with  his  stpiaws  and  children  ;  and 
here,    doubtU^ss,     he     might     have    often 

been  seen  lounging,  half  nakt;d.  on  a  rush  mat  or  a  bear-skin,  like  any  ordi- 
nar\'  warrior.  W'l;  may  fancy  the  currt-nt  of  his  thoughts,  the  turmoil  ol  \us  uncurbed 
passions,  as  he  revolved  the  treacheries  which,  to  his  sa\age  mind,  secnuil  lai'-  .unl 
honourable.  At  one  moment,  his  tierce  lu'art  would  imni  with  the  anticipa'ion  of 
vengeance  on  the  detested  I'-Uglish  ;  at  another,  he  would  meditate  how  lie  best 
might  turn    the  approaching    tumults  to    the    furtherance  of    his  own   ambitious    schemes. 


A'OR'n/ItRjY  NEIGH  no  R  153 

Yet  we  may  believe  tliat  Poiuiac  was  not  a  strant^er  to  the  hii^Hi  emotions  of  tlu' 
patriot  hero,  the  ehampion,  not  nierel)-  of  his  nation's  rights,  hut  of  th(>  very  existence 
of  his  race.  lie-  (htl  not  (h-eani  liow  desperate;  a  game  he  was  about  to  phiv.  lie 
hourly  (lattered  himself  with  the  futile  hope;  of  aid  from  brance,  and  liioui^hl  in  his 
ii,morance  that  the  British  Colonie-s  must  i;iv(.'  way  before  the  rush  of  his  savajjfc  war- 
riors ;  when,  in  truth,  all  the  combined  tribes  of  the  forest  nu'i^ht  have  chafed  in  \aiii 
rajre  aijainst  th(;  rockdike  strt-ny^th  of  the  Any^lo-Saxon.  l.ookint;  across  an  interveniuL; 
arm  of  the  river,  I'ontiac  could  see  on  its  eastern  bank  the  numerous  lodges  of  his 
Ottawa  tribesmen,   half  hidden    amoni;-    the    ragged   growth   of  trees  and   bushes." 

It  was  within  the  narrow  compass  of  this  meditati\-e  IK:  a  la  Peche  that  i'on- 
tiac planned  his  surprise  of  lh(;  extended  chain  of  frontier  garrisons  in  1763.  The 
tu'st  attacked  was  the  most  remote.; — th;.-  fort  that  guartknl  the  gateway  from  Lake- 
Huron  into  Lake  Michigan.  On  the  fourth  of  Junt;  the  Ojibways  with  t.'ffusive 
lovalty  assembled  arounil  I'Ort  Michillimackinac  to  celebrate  the  birthda\  of  their 
(ireat  leather.  King  Oeorge.  Mark  the  grim  irony  of  that  touch!  The  main  fea- 
ture of  the  occasion  was  to  be  a  grand  game  ol  la-crosse. — or  bai^a^atlaway  as  the 
Ojibways  named  it. — played  with  the  Sacs  for  a  high  wager.  Once  or  twice, 
through  some  unusual  awkwardness  in  the  play(;rs.  the  ball  was  swung  over  the 
])ickets  of  the  fort,  and  the  players  in  their  eagerness  all  rushed  pi-ll-mell  to  lintl 
th(;  ball,  and  then  out  again  to  resume  the  game.  Major  Ktherington,  the  com- 
mandant, had  bi't  on  the  Ojibways.  and  was  as  intent  as  any  on  the  s[)orl.  Once 
more  the  ball  rose  high  in  the  air  ami  fell  within  the  fort.  This  time  the  eager 
players  in  their  rush  towards  the  .i^'^ite  suddenh-  drop|)ed  their  la-crosse  sticks  and 
snatched  tomahawks  from  squaws  who  stood  ready  with  the  weapons  IxMieath  their 
blankets.  The  massacre  of  the  sur|)rised  garrison  was  the  work  of  an  instant,  for 
four  hundred  armed  Inilians  were  now  within  the;  inclosurc; !  An  atlventurous  fur- 
trader,  Alexander  Henry,  witnessed  the  tragedy  froii  a  window  overlooking  the  fort, 
.uui  .after  a  series  of  thrilling  dangers,  escaped,  and  livetl  to  become  the  historian 
of     these     events.  Through     the     kindness     of     his     grand-daughter,    who     resides      In 

Toronto,    we    have    consulted    for    the    purposes    of    our    narrative    Henri's    own    copy  of 
his    famous     Travels   and    .  IdrciUiirts. 

Within  fifteen  days  from  the  striking  of  thi'  first  blow  in  the  north  ten  lorts 
had  fallen  before  Pontiac's  strateg)'.  (^ne  important  garrison,  howv-ver,  still  held 
out, — that  at  Detroit.  The  lo\-e  of  a  prett\  Indian  girl  for  Major  ("dadwyn  had 
betrayed  the  plans  of  the  great  cons|)irator :  and  though  Pontiac  might  diaw  an 
inexperienced  othcer  into  .a  fatal  and)uscade,  the  war\-  commandant  would  withstand 
'ven     a     twelve     months'     belcaguermcnl,     .uul      throw     into     hopeless     chaos      Pontiac's 

( Dnspiracy. 

In    the    s|)ring    of     iSsj.    the     genius    of     Mrs.     Stouc     made     oiu'     western     frontier 


154 


och'  /'/C7'('h'/-'S( )(■/■: 


KKI  l.NKKN  . 
tailliiUS      lo     ,lll      the 

witi'M  as  the  as\liini   ol     n'lum'c  shut-s. 

No     passai^cs     in     /'//</(•     '/'(>///'.<     Cabin 

ar;'       mori-      painlullv        cNciliiiL;        than 

those   (lcscril)in^    the  tli^lit   nl    l{li/a  ami    her  cliiKl  ; 

v\v\-\     reader    Iccls    a     sense     of      profound     relief 

when    they    L;ain    L'anadian    soil.       An    act 

of     the     Imperial      Parliament,    passed     in 

iS", ;,     abolished      sla\'er\    in 


'vs^&,.';v.,r 


I 


-.tgjf' 


(  .\KKNI\(,     1111.    Ull,. 


.\7  V\'  riii-:K.\*  x  ma  1 1  in  )r 


^":> 


^,^jH3 


Oil,     TANKS. 


HL' 


thf    Colonics,    l)iit      Siiiuoc's     I'aniu'r'^'  ^^"^--^  ^ 

I'arliainciU       at      Xiai^ara       anli(i|iatctl  'i:^^- 

li\'      li>rty       Will's       l)ii\ti>ii       and       ihr 

l'",iiian(i|iati(iii  Act  of  I'.ii^laiul,  ami  ( larrisoii's  .\iUi-Sla\  fr\-  Socic'l\-  in  the  Initccl 
Stales.  In  I  iipcr  L'anada  sla\ci'\  was  aliolislu-d  as  carl)'  as  179^1,  by  ^iii  Act 
to  /'rrr,!//  the  l-'iirtlur  I uti-odiut ion  of  Slavos,  ainl  to  Limit  tlio  Term  of  Lou 
traits  for  Soriflmto  xoitliiii  tliis  /'niriiirc.  This  most  rcmarkaMi:  measure  was  Iramed 
1)\-  tile  .Solicitor-*  icncr.il,  Kohcrt  (irav,  who  rciinscntcd  the  bounties  of  Slormniit 
and  Russell.  Onr  Sunda\-  cxcnin^"  in  1X04,  the  .Solicitor-*  Icncral  cmharkt'd  at  Toronto 
on  the  schooner  Sf,it/v.  to  attend  the  Newcastle  cinuit  ;  hut  an  ()ctolper  j^ale  siid- 
denl\'  rising',  the  schooner  missed  her  harhour  and  disa[)|)eared.  l{\er\'  |)ort  on 
the    Lake     was    in    vain    searched    tor    tidings,    and    at    leneth     all    hope    was    ahandoned, 


156  OCR    PICT('RHSOrF 

Gray's  will  was  (ipcnccl,  and  it  was  found  that  the  caiisp  of  the  slave  had  lain  \t'ry 
n(;ar  his  heart.  lie  t^axc  his  hhuk  scr\ants,  Simon  and  John,  their  freedom,  and 
bestowed  on  eacii  a  sum  of  money  and  two  iuimlred  acres  of  land.  I5ut  Simon 
had  already  been  manumitteil  b\-  a  mit^htier  hand,  aiul  lu;  was  now  past  all  fear  of 
want.  H('  wa.s  lyin^j  near  his  beloved  master  at  the  bottom  of  the  Lake.  John  lived 
to  defend  his  freedom  at  Luinly's  Lane,  and  to  draw  a  pension  for  tlftj-seven  years 
afterwards  as  some  compensation   for  his  wounds. 

Refiiijjee  slaves  reached  Canada  always  in  the  _L,'reatest  tlestitution,  and  often  utterly 
exhaustetl  by  their  desperate  race  for  fr(;edom.  Private  benevolence  and  charitable 
organization  found  here  a  wide  field  for  effort.  Little  colonies  were  formed  of  fuijitivt.'s 
in  the  alluvial  tract  occupicxl  l)\-  the  Counties  of  Kent  and  l"'ssex.  In  i84<S,  a  block  of 
iS.ooo  acres  in  the  Townshij)  of  Raleii^h  was,  throuiL;^h  the  co-oi)eration  of  the  Go\- 
ernor-General,  Lord  I*^l>;in,  appropriated  from  the  Crown  lands  as  a  refugee  settlement, 
and  the  management  was  vested  in  the  Llgin  Association.  '\\\v.  active  spirit  in  the 
movement  was  th(;  Rev.  William  King,  who  had  liberated  his  own  slaves  in  Louisiana, 
and  secured  their  freedom  by  removing  them  to  Canada  in  1848.  His  colony  rapidly 
grew  in  numbers,  and  became  known  as  the  Buxton  Settlement, — taking  its  name  from 
the  English  philanthropist,   Sir  Thomas   Fowell   Huxton. 

Another  colony  of  escaped  slaves  was  formed  on  the  confines  of  the  Counties 
of  Kent  and  Lambton.  Here  the  founder  and  patriarch  was  no  less  famous  a 
personage  than  i^nclc  Tom  himself,  or  his  other  si;lf,  the  Rev.  Josiah  Henson. 
Aunt  Ckloe  died  many  years  ago  ;  but  Uncle  Toyti  n-ached  the  great  age  of  ninety-four, 
anil  died  at   Dresden   X'illage   in   >La>',    1883. 

At  the  outlets  of  the  .St.  Clair  and  Sydenham  Rivers  the  grountl  lies  low,  and 
is  subject  to  inundation.  An  area  of  some  forty  scjuare  miles, — known  as  th(;  St. 
Clair  Flats, — is  occupied  by  lagoons  antl  river-islands,  forming  the  paradise  of  wild 
duck  and  the  eljsium  of  the  sportsman.  Two  tracts,  actpiired  untler  a  ten  years' 
lease  from  the  Government  of  Canatla,  are  held  as  close  preserves  by  a  company, 
which  maintains  a  Club-House  for  thc^  entertainment  of  the  shareholders  and  their 
gue^  Within    and    be\ond     tlu;    preserves,    after    the     14th    of   August,    the    crack    of 

the  -sliot-gun   is  incessant!)-   heard  throughout  the  marshes. 

The  F'ast  Hranch  of  the  Sydenham  would  K.-ad  us  up  to  Sirathro\-,  a  ])rosp('rous 
manufacturing  town  of  Middlesex,  on  the  highwav  of  commerce  l)(.'twe(,'n  London  and 
Sarnia.  The  Xorlli  Ib'anch  takes  us  into  tlic  heart  of  Lambton,  a  rich  champaign, 
dotted  over  with  cosn-  \ill,igcs.  Threading  our  wa\'  tiirough  gro\es  of  tlerricks,  we 
reach  in  I'^nniskillcn  the  heart  of  Fetroleuni-Land.  This  township,  in  1S60,  became 
famous  through  th<'  discovery  of  a  llowing  well,  the  first  in  Canada.  !))•  some  dark 
alchemy  the  marine  animals  and  plants  eml)edded  in  tlu'  shah's  and  (Micrinal  limestone 
forming  the    i)ase    of     the    "Hamilton"    series,    have    distilled    out   the    complex    mixture 


NOR  TIfRRX  XRIGlfnOR 


:)/ 


(if  things  that  we  gatlujr  ii|)  in  tiic  siiii^rjc  word.  Pclrolciiiii.  Crude  oil  is  now  drawn 
rhiclly  from  the  wells  around  I'etrolca,  Oil  Springs,  ami  Oil  City,  and  wafted, — with 
a  very  considerable  whiff,  -to  the  refineries  in  Petrolea  and  London.  There  tht; 
"Crude"  is  decanted  from  tank-carts  into  a  \'ast  subterranean  rotunda  of  boiler-plate. 
,ind  tlu!  sand  and  water  subside  to  tlu,-  bottom.  \\\  treatment  with  acid  and  alkali, 
"sweetness"  is  divorced  troni  "light."  Distillation  at  carefully  regulated  temperatures 
yields  a  series  of  valuable  products, — rhigolene,  naphtha,  kerosene,  lubricating  t)il. 
etc.  Heavy  Canailian  petroleums  are  rich  in  paraftine  ;  the  snowy  whiteness  of 
this  beautiful  substance  contrasts  strongly  with  the  black,  garlicky  lluid  from  which 
it   is  I'xtracteil. 

A  deep  channel  has  been  carrieil  by  the  Governmt'iit  of  the  I'nited  States 
through  the  St.  Clair  I'lals  We  are  here  flanked  on  eith(.T  side  by  dikes,  and  th(.' 
great  steamer  spins  its  \\\\\  over  s[)()ts  where  La  Salhi's  45-lon  craft  would  have 
grounded.  Yonder  white-oak  forest  on  W'alpole  Island,  with  the  Indians  encamped  in 
its  glades,  is  a  fading  reminiscence  of  the  landscape  that  La  Salh;  beheld.  Now  a 
"magnificent  water-wa\',"  as  batluM-  CharU;\oix  rightly  called  it,  opens  out  befort^  us. 
While  we  climb  the  River  St.  Clair,  a  merr)-  ripple  of  laught(;r  pla\s  around  our  bows. 
The  current  ever  increases  as  we  ascend  ;  and  at  Point  Edward  it  reaches  the  velocit\ 
of  a  ra|)id.  Indeed,  in  pioneer  days,  the  Canadian  side  of  this  gateway  into  Lake 
Huron   was  known  as    The  Rixpiih. 

Here  a  tract  was  set  off,  in  1S29,  by  Sir  John  Colborne  (Lord  Seaton),  and,  as 
a  compliment  to  the  LieulcMiant-Governor's  recent  administration  of  Guernsi^y,  the 
township  was  calU-d  Sarnia.  H)'  this  name  the  later  Romans  knew  the  C'hannc] 
Island  which,  in  our  day,  has  become  illustrious  as  the  scene  of  Victor  Hugo's  exile-; 
as  the;  cradle  of  Lcs  Afisi'ra/f/is,  as  the  home  of  /.cs  Travailleurs  dr  la  Mcr.  To 
the  Toilers  of  our  Inland  Seas, — storm\-  Mer  Douce,  and  the  others, — Sarnia  forms 
a  natural  harb(jur  of  refuge.  Our  Canadian  bank  of  the  St.  Clair  here  sweeps  back 
into  a  dee|)  cur\e,  forming  a  nobh;  bay  with  safe  anchorage.  The  approach  to  the 
town  from  the  water  is  verv  animated.  Grain  vessels  are  discharging  at  the  great 
elevator;  steamcM's  art;  lading  for  i'ort  Huron  and  Detroit;  the  United  /{n/fy/rr  has 
lust  rc^turned  honu;  from  Prince  Arthur's  Lamling  ;  Grand  Trunk  trains  are  labouring 
towards  Point  Ldward,  anxious  io  cast  their  burthen  on  tlu;  back  of  tlu;  great 
lirry-boat.  Tlu;  river  front  is  lined  with  substantial  slrui'tures. — churclu;s,  hotels, 
Mocks  of  stores  aiul  ofhci;s.  In  the  vista  are  other  church  spiriis;  for  Sarnia  tem[)i'rs 
lis  comnu^rcial  ambition  aiul  manufacturing  ardour  with  a  secret  [jride  in  its  churches, 
rile  geographical  atlvantages  of  Sarnia  are  inestimable  :  Nature  has  indi;t;d  been  kind 
Id   the   place. 


i=;s 


rVA"    /'/("/'(  R /-sol  7-: 


*  :*' 


A    iKuui'   I'ooi.  ON    1111.  SAL  i;i;i;N. 


.\VV/ /•///:  A'. \-      \i:i(,llln)R 


•59 


FROM    rOROX  TO 
TO     LAKK    HURON. 


'111!     oKl     lliiroii     iract. 

■r<H'lctl     iii)liiicall\-     in- 

ti  I    llic     "II  umn      I  *i>lri(  t,  " 

and    siri)sc(|iicntl\'    dixitlcd    into    llic 

connt  i<'s      ol       rf-i'lh.       I  I  nron.      and 

ISrucc,    has   Ixi-n    M-tllcd    m)    n-('cnll\- 

liial     llic    oldest     iidialiilanl,     lull     of 

llic     folk-lore     ol     the     Im'sI     seiilers, 

is   to    lie    found    in     c'\-cr\'     distrii-t.        ( '.odericli.     trontin'^    tile     mi;^lit\'    lake,     was     its    lirsl 

(anital;     hut    while     (  loderieh,     with     all     the     ad\anla'/es    ot     water    coinniunication,    will 


i6o  OCR  PirrrRi':s(}ri': 

probably  remain  a  town,  Stratlord,  lorly-six  miles  inlaiul,  has,  thanks  to  railways, 
attained  to  the  i)r<)|)()rti()iis  of  a  cit\-.  Less  than  half  a  rentur\-  a^o  the  a  hole  of  this 
ma^niliciMil  north-western  section  of  the  jjcninsnla  of  Ontario,  now  rt-joicinjLj  in 
thousands  of  homesteads,  tilled  with  the  bounties  of  a  xeritable  promised  land,  was 
covered  with  dense  forest,  the  silence  of  whosi;  solitudes  was  broken  onl)'  by  the  l)ark 
of  the  wolf.  So  short  was  the  time  needetl  to  conxi-rt  the  forist  into  the  fruitful 
held.  Ilow  much  Ic'ss  time  shall  elapse  before  the  lonel)'  prairies  of  our  North-west 
have   become   teeming'    Provinces  I 

|ohn  (iait  ami  1  )r.  nimloj),  to  whom  we  referred  when  describing-  the  birth  of 
(~luelph,  founded  Cjoderich  and  Stratford  also.  That  Canaila  Company,  which,  with 
its  n^ai  million  and  otld  acres  of  land  and  its  p.ominal  million  of  sterling  money, 
seemed  to  our  fathers  so  overshadowing;;  a  monopoly,  but  which  in  our  days  of 
Syndicates  seems  a  small  affair,  owned  the  wlujle  lluron  lUock  or  Tract.  Should  the 
founders  and  capatalists  of  tlu;  Company  s^et  credit  for  beini,;  the  necessary  mitUllemen 
who  coloni/ed  the  unbroken  forest,  or  should  they  be  ik'nounced  as  land-_q'rabl)ers  who 
bought  chea[)  from  the  (io\ eminent  and  sold  dear  to  the  emitjrant  ?  It  is  not  for  us, 
whose  vocation  is  to  sc-ek  out  such  i)ictures([ue  bits  as  the  trout-pools  of  the  Saui^een, 
one  of  which  our  artist  has  faithfull)'  sketched,  to  pronounce  jutlonient.  Hut  certain 
it  is  that  the  Company  securtnl  a  i^dorious  tract  ;  "  the  height  of  land  "  of  Western 
()ntario,  whence^  streams  Ilow  south  to  Lakes  ICrie  and  St.  Clair,  west  to  the  fresh- 
water sea  of  lluron,  and  north  through  the  (-scarpment  that  extends  from  Niagara 
across  country  all  the  way  to  the  Lantl's  l^nd  at  Cabot's  1  lead  ;  a  country  whose 
belts  anti  fringes  ol  ^jlorious  maple,  beach,  ash  and  cathedral  elms,  still  towerini;-  up 
every  here  and  there,  r(!\(!al  the  character  of  the  forest  primeval,  and  the  character  of 
the  soil  which  now  rewards  the  labours  of  tb.e  husbandman  with  "butter  of  kine  ami 
milk  of    shee[),    and   the   fat  of  kidneys  of  wheat." 

Some  men  like,  and  others  dislike.  Colonization  Companies;  but  all  men  will  join 
in  the  |)rayer  that,  if  the  Companies  must  be,  the\'  ma)'  have  managers  like  John 
Gait.  He  did  his  tluty.  .More  concernin<;"  him  we  wvv(\  not  say;  but  a  brief  account 
ol  his  first  inspei-tion  ot  the  lluron  tract  and  of  th<;  be^^inniuiL^s  of  (ioderich  comes  litly 
in  at  this  |)oint.  Me  arranged  that  \^\\  Dunlop  should  start  from  (ialt  with  surveyors 
and  oth(;rs,  and  cut  his  wa\-  throuL^di  the  forest  to  the  mitj;-ht\-  lluron,  while  he  himself 
went  round  by  Lake  Simcoe  to  I'enelani^uisluMie,  to  "embark  there  in  a  naval  vessel  anil 
exploHi  that  [)art  of  the  coast  of  Lake  lluron.  berween  Cabot's  lleatl  on  the  north, 
and  the  riv(.'r  ;Aux  .Sables  on  the  south,  in  order  to  discover,  if  possible,  a  harbour." 
\t  l*eiH;tan,L,Miishene  he  found  that  the  ;\dmiralt\-,  with  that  curious  geo_i,n-aphical 
knowledge  which  still  occasionally  distinguishes  it,  had  given  orders  that  His  Majesty's 
gunboat,  the  lht\  shoukl  go  with  him  to  "Lake  lluron  in  Lotocr  Canatla."  He 
says,    "We    bore    awaj-    for    Cabot's     llead,    with    the    sight    of    which    1     was    agreeabh' 


NORniJSRX  N HI  an  BO  K  16 1 

disappointed,  haxiiii;  IcariK'd  soincthiiiL,'-  i)f  its  allci^cd  stormy  fratiircs,  and  cxpcctcHl 
to  see  a  lolty  promontory;  Init  the  descriptions  wi'ri-  mmli  cxai^^^craled  ;  we  saw  only 
a  wood}'  stretch  ol  land,  not  \'er\'  lofl\',  U'in!:^  calm  in  the  sunshine  of  a  still  after- 
noon, and  instead  of  dark  clouds  and  lurid  lii^rlitnin^s,  IxheM  only  heaul)  and  calm. 
Ila\iiii;  douliled  this  '(iood  i  lope  '  of  the  lakes,  we  then  kept  close  alon^  shore, 
examiniiiL;  .dl  the  coast  with  cire,  hut  we  could  discover  onl\  the  months  ol  incousitl- 
er.il)!e  streams,  and  no  imleniaiion  that  to  our  inspection  appeareil  suitable  lor  a 
harltoiM". 

"In  the  .ilternoon  of  the  foUowin;^  da\-,  we  saw  alar  oil  1)\'  our  telescope  a  small 
cleariuL;  in  the  lorest,  and  on  the  hrow  of  a  risin;^  ground  a  cotta:,;c  deli^lulully 
situated.  Ihe  appearance  of  such  a  slight  in  such  a  pku'c  was  unexpi'cted,  and  we 
had  some  debate;  if  it  coidd  he  the  location  ol  1  )r.  1  )uidop,  who  hatl  L;uided  the  land- 
e\[)lorin^  |)arty  alread)  ,dlude<l  to  :  nor  were  we  left  lon^  in  douht,  f(M-  on  approaching' 
tin;  place,  we  met  a  canoe  haxiui^  on  hoard  a  stranu^c  cond)ination  of  Indians,  vel- 
veteens, and  whiskers,  and  discovered,  within  the  roots  of  the  nnl  hair,  tht;  li\ini;' 
features  of  the  Doctor.  /M)out  an  hour  after  crossing-  the  river's  bed  of  ei^ht  feet, 
we  came  to  a  beautiful  anchorai^e  of  fourtc'cn  feel  of  water,  in  an  imcommonly  pleasant 
sm:dl  basin.  The  place  ha.d  b(;en  selected  b\  the  Doctor,  and  is  now  the  site  of  the 
llourishini^  town    of   (loilerich." 

Dr.  1  )unlo|)  was  not  the  llrst  white  man  who  had  pitched  cimp  on  the  Menese- 
tiuii^.  as  the  Maitland  Rixer  was  called  b\-  the  Indians.  More  than  two  hundretl 
\ears  befoH'  his  (la\',  Champla.in  had  paiklleil  his  canoe  round  the  far-extending;'  coast 
line  of  the  (ieoru'ian  ISav  and  Lake  Huron  down  to  the  Detroit  l\i\'er,  aiid  caniped, 
both  in  L^oiiiL;'  and  returnini,;.  at  the  s[)ot  where  ("loderich  now  stands.  Go  when; 
we  will  in  Canada,  from  Xo\a  .Scotia  to  the  (irand  Manitoulin,  the  name  ol  .Samuel 
(le  Lhamplain  meets  us.  .Alter  his  \  isit,  the  |esuits  iiiade  the  mouth  of  MenesetuiiL; 
a  tre(|iuiU  callini^''-place  on  their  expetlitions.  Hut  the  Irocpiois  rooted  out  llurons 
and  b'suils  alike  froni  W'esterii  (Jntario,  and  for  two  centuries  niore  the  forest 
remained  unbroken.  With  (iall,  the  modern  history  of  the  lluron  Tract  bcL^ins. 
Irom  the  Romans  downwards,  con(|U(.'rors  and  colonizers  have;  been  road-makers. 
Roads  are  now  laid  with  steel  rails.  That  is  all  the  atlvance  we  have  made.  "in 
openiui;  roads  tt)  render  remote  lands  accessible,  and,  of  conrse,  more  valuable,  antl 
to  ,i^ive  employment  to  poor  c^mii^rants,  consist«'d  the  pith  and  marrow  of  ni)- 
out-door  s\stem,"  sa\'s  Cjall.  11  is  ^reat  work  was  a  road  throui^^h  the  forest  uf 
the  lluron  Tract,  n(!arl\'  a  hundred  miles  in  Ic'nu'th,  by  which  an  overland  com- 
munication was  established  for  the  tirst  time,  between  Lakes  Huron  and  ( )ntario,  a 
work  as  formidable  to  his  resources  as  the  Canada  Pacific  Railwav  now  is  to 
the  resources  of  Canada.  It  was,  however,  indispensable.  I'hat  was  its  vindica- 
ion.        It     was    successfully     cut     tlirouoh     dense     forests     and    carried     over    deep    bogs 


ti 


lft-> 


oiR  /'/(•/•  r N /-: SO ('/-: 


liiiDIUU  II. 

il.i'  k  -  asli 

tlv-    ni;iL;ni- 

ion  '   on    the 

m;iL;inati()ii, 

It    \il    occasioned    sonic    ])ainliil     tui^s    to 


^J<^  -'■■■fW .-'  .  ... 

■ ''^^-   ^'  li\iiiianlt\-.        One    iiioimiiiil'     npw.anls    ol     fort\     ot    tin 


men  came  in  alllicled  with  the  a^iie  ;  the\'  \V(r<'  of  the 
cohnir  of  mnmmies,  and  liv  har(lshi[)s  fri^htfiilK-  emaciated." 
"S'et  wlien  ("lalt  asked  the  l)irectors  for  a  (h)clor,  no  attention  was  [laid 
to  th(>  re(|uesl  I  I',  it,  dillicnhies  nolw  ithstaiuhnL;,  the  road,  such  as  it  was, 
strii!_;L;"led  into  Ix'iiiL;  ;  and  \\\  iSj;j,  a  jiosi  ran  onci-  a  loi'tnii^lit  lietwceii 
Cicxh'rich  and  (luelph.  Mid\va\'  was  .Stratford,  so  intemled  li\  nature  for  a  centre, 
that  it  was  a  town  on  paper  in  tlie  COmpanx's  ollices  lu-loi-e  a  house  was  Imilt  on 
the  Axon  or  the  sur\-e)-  of  the  Huron  road  was  coinnu'iiced  I  >r.  I  )uidop  ,!_;a\e 
instructions,  Ix'fore  slartin;^''  on  his  oxcrkind  journey  to  meet  (lall  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Mciieselum^-,  that  one  of  tlie  three  taverns,  for  which  the  Coinpar.)'  ollered 
bonuses,  sliouKl  he  huilt  at  .Stratford,  and  l)e  the  lia'f-wa_\-  liouse  hetween  the  settle- 
ments and  Lake  Huron.  His  instructions  were  not  carried  out,  hut  in  i  S ',  i  one 
W'ilham  .Serjeant  was  prescMitetl  \)\  the  COmpaiu  witli  a  h)t  in  thi;  proposed  t(»wn, 
on  condition  of  his  startiii!^'-  a  tax'ern  there.  Thus  Stratford  came  into  lieiiiL;.  In 
1853,  it  h(!cam(;  an  incorporated  \illai,''e,  and  it  is  now  tlu;  chief  town  of  the  county 
ol  I'erth.  \\'lieth{!r  or  not  the  ("ompaiu'  intentU'd  the  naim;  of  th(;  town  ami  the 
river  as  a  rom|)liment  to  .Shakespeare  is  not  known,  l)ut  certain!)-  the  citizens  are 
j)rf)ii(l     of     tile     name,     ami     the    jilace    is    all    compact    of     the    yreat     poet.        The     five 


.VOA'  rill-'.RX    MiK.mu  Vv' 


^(n 


municipal  wards  art;  rcspectivcU'  entitled  Sliakt.'spearc,  Avon,  llaniKl,  konicn.  and 
l''alstalf,  and  an  inM  liplion  dct  lares  that  the  liiinidallon  siom-  <il  the  siiaiioiis  town- 
hall   was  l.iiil  on   "April    2  vL    i'"^')).   the   tcr-(ciiicnary  <>f    Shakespeare's   liirlh." 

Stratford  is  situated  at  the  junclion  ol  lixe  townships,  and  is  the  centre;  of  a 
hcautifull)'  rolling  and  fertih'  countrx.  l'i(  Ids  waxin^^  with  golden  L;rain,  and  riih, 
ileep-j;reei)  pastures  on  which  tloc  ks  and  her<ls  are  contentedly  hrowsini^,  lell  ol  tiiose 
resonrci's  that  are  the  true  ha-^is  of  a  countr\'s  material  growth,  hecause  their  most 
aliundanl  j^iviuL;  iK'\(lops  and  iloes  nut  impoverish.  Ilxlensive  urcharils,  principally 
of  a|)ples  anil  plums, 
and  fringes  of  Ime, 
hard  -  wood  trees,  add 
to  the  i^eneral  air  ol 
warmth,  and,  almost 
e\  (  r\\vhere,  larm-honses 
ol  stone,  brick,  or  lirst- 
class     frame,     tell      that 

the       people       have       ^ot 

l)e\ond  the  mean  sur- 
roundiiv^s  with  which 
of  necessitN  thf  hrst 
decades  ol  settlement 
are      associated.  I  he 

hariis  are  <'\en  more 
full  ol  promise  than 
the  residences  ;  loi-.  let 
no  tra\cller  in  the 
couiUrx'  exor  lorecl    the 

.ld\ice       of      the      C'lock- 
niaker    of    .Slick\ille.    to 
stdect     as     his     (piarters 
for   the    nii^ht     a    home- 
stead    dwarfed    l)\'     hui^c     harns, 
•  iiid    to    a\oid    hii;    houses    i)eside    small    or 
dilapidated   harns  as   the    L,^ates   ol    death. 
In    tlu;   whole    counl\-   there   is   no    stony, 
rocky,    or    hill\-    land.        Its    characteristic 
'e.itures      is     the     softly -slopinjj^      fruitful 

\alle\'   which    our    artist    has    sek;cted    for   his    Hrst     illustration.        As   a  conse(|i!ence   the 
ounty    town     has    s^^rown     steadily    and    surel),    and    has    become    an    important    mark(;t 


STRA  I  l'c:)KD. 


164 


r)rA'  /'/("rrRFsoc'H 


TIIK    CliDl  KKfl     LIGHT-HOUSE. 

for    farm    prodiuts    and    a     home 
of    Ljrowino    iiuhistrics.       lis    mer- 
chants    ami      mannfaclnrt-rs     slii|) 
chrcctly     to     l'".n^lan(l     and     otIuM- 
countries    heyond   seas,  as    far    as 
AiistraHa  :     and    as     it    is    now     a 
t^rrcat    railway    centre,    its     producers    lia\(; 
«'\-ery   facility   lor  communicating    with   ilis- 
tant     markets.        'I'ln    C.i-and    'I'runk.     the     I'oil 
"|)o\-er    cK:    Iluron,    the   Stratford    \-    111  on,    the 
Wellin-ton,    (ire\     i\:     iiriice,   and     the     liulfalo 
cv     Lake     Iluron     Railways,    run     throui^h     the 
county;  and   Us    |il<'asaiU    \alle\s    ha\c   thus  all 
the  life  ami   movement    that    constantl\-    passing-    and 
re-passing-  trains  .^ixi'.    to    the    threat    r(!licf    of    what 
would   otherwise    he    tln'    dulness    and     monotoii\-   of 
rur.il   lieautx.        The   (irand      Trunk    Railua\-    removed    its 
shojjs  from     Toronto   to   .Stratford    in    1S71,  chiefly  hecaiise 
of  the  advanta;^('s  promised  1)\-  its  central  position.      .\n    im|iulse  was 
therel)\-  j^ixcii  to  the  !_;rowth  of    llu.'   place,    for   the    montllK    ilishurse- 
meiits    connected    with    those    wo'-ks     amount    to    over    thirty    thousand     dollars.       'The 
character  of  tlu'  citizens, — and    this  remark   ajjplies  to  the  other  towns  of  the  count)-  as 
well,  —  may   be    seen   in  the    sacrifices    they  make    unL;rudini;l\-  for  tlu;  education  of  their 


J 


.\( y< iiiiiRX  xi'Hciiik Vv' 


165 


chiUlrcn.  Ihc  W'ai'il  aiul  Separate  Scliools  are  \v\-\  t^ooil,  ami  the  Ilii^^h  School, 
perched  on  a  iiohh'  elexation,  and  with  its  spire  rising;'  to  an  alliliule  ot  1  jij  feel,  is 
specialK  worth)'  ol  note.  Its  first  lloor,  wiiJi  lolly  ami  air\-  class-rooms,  s(;r\('s  as 
lli^h  School,  the  second  is  assiL;iie(|  to  the  C'entr.il  School,  and  ihe  third  is  a 
spacious  asseinliK'  room.  It  is  Imilt  of  white  hrick,  with  hands  and  enrichments  ol 
red.  At  a  point  on  tiie  opposite  side  of  the  lower  l)rid;4e,  its  massi\t'  hulk  and 
graceful  outlines  appear  to  j^reat  ad\ antai;(,'.  1  he  Mull  on  whii  h  it  staiuls  slopes 
ahruptK'  ujiwai-ds  from  the  river  to  a  height  ol  alxuit  lilty  leel.  Masses  ot  wil- 
lows, maples,  and  elms  clothe  il^  sides,  whose  soil  loliaL^c  and  \arious  shades  of 
j^reen  are  in  line  conlrasi  with  ihe  rich  ci'eam  colour  of  the  buildiiiL.;'  and  the  sharp 
anvil's  of  its  |)innacled  roof.  I'rom  tin;  cupola  the  spectatcu'  looks  out  on  a  splendid 
expanse  of  cultivated  fields  and  pastures,  with  dark  lorests  stretchint^'  to  the  hori/on. 
.At  his  feet  is  ihe  stirring;'  town,  irremilarU  shapid,  ])artl\  concealed  amon^'  trees, 
claspinij;'  its  t"i\'(;  townships  in  a  hel|)ful  lioiul.  the  silver  stream  of  the  river  addini^'  lif(^ 
and  lieaut\'  to  the  picture.  The  illustration  i^ives  one  of  the  pictures(HK;  features  of 
the  landscape.  i'rom  a  point  on  the  left  l),'ink  ol  the  .\\(>n.  in  a  direction  nearh' 
east,  the  opposite  side  rises  1)\  terraces  to  an  elevation  ol  about  lilt\'  feet,  on  the 
highest  point  of  which,  fr<uilinL;  the  [)rincipal  street  of  the  town,  the  Ixautilul 
I'reshv'terian  t  hiircli  has  Ix-eii  erected,  its  (lothic  spire  towering;'  s^racefulK  to  the 
height  of  J15  leet.  To  the  riL^ht  of  the  church  the  upper  stor\'  and  cupola  ol  an 
hotel  breaks  the  outline,  and  in  the  fori;L;round  are  groups  of  liuiKliiii^s  and  lre(;s 
lioimded   l.v   the   !_;lisienim;    waters   of    the    river. 

l-'rom  the  loivj;  bridge,  .mother  pretl\  bid  ol  l.mdscape  mav  be  seen.  The  river 
at  this  point  takes  a  L^r.iceful  curve  to  the  riidit.  In  the  ilistaiice  its  banks  slopt; 
upwards  into  a  rich  exp.mse  of  pasture,  on  which  sheep  .'ippear  |);iceefullv  feeding-, 
walled  in  by  the  lofty  trees  of  the  forest  bevond,  while  to  the  left  a  statelv  elni 
bends  its  branches  over  a  jirettv  private  residence.  .Xi^ain.  lookiii;,;  down  the  river, 
to  the  ri;^ht,  a  glimpse  is  caught  of  the  C'ourt  I  louse,  vvith  ,iutii|ue  cupola  and  pillai'( d 
Iront,  all  but  hidden  anions;  the  willows.  iievond  it,  on  the  same  terr.ice,  is  the 
I'^piscopal,  ,ind  larlher,  on  the  heiL,du.  the  Roman  Catholic  Church;  both  edifices 
are  Ciothic,   ol    coiirsi'. 

|)iver!4inn  Irom  .Stnitford  to  <'ither  rii;ht  or  left,  we  come  upon  thriving,  hopeful 
and  projrressive  communities.  l"o  the  north  is  I.istowel,  on  the  Maiiland  River,  full 
of  energy  and  public  spirit,  and  I'.ilmerston.  named  after  "  pluckv  I'.iin,"  which  has 
in'own  in  a  few  yi'ars  Irom  a  railwav  station  into  a  busv  town  with  a  rapidlv  in- 
crc-asiii;^  popnl,'\ti(ui.  (  )n  iln'  other  si'le  ol  .Sii-;iifoi-d  is  the  celebnited  '.^rain  market 
of  St.  Mary's.  The  (  )ld  World  name  ol  tliis  prosperous  place  is  due  not  so  much 
to  ih('  devout  spirit  ol  the  founders,  as  to  their  miiv^led  ^allantrv  and  shrewdness. 
T'lit     th(;     mixture     did     not     pa\'     (|uile     as     well     as     was    eN[)ected.        Mel    together    to 


1 66  (H^R   PICTl^RESQUE 

cliristen  "  the  I'alls."  as  tlv.;  locality  was  named  from  the  Thames  rushinjj^  over  a 
succession  of  rapiils  at  this  point,  the  wife  ')f  the  Commissioner  of  the  Canada  Company 
being  [present,  suggested  her  own  as  a  gootl  name  in  default  of  a  better,  and  at  the 
same  time  offered  £\o  towards  the  construction  of  a  much-needed  school-house. 
The  suggestion  was  acc«'ptetl,  and  so  were  tlu;  ten  pounds.  .Mrs.  Mary  Jones  was 
canonized  on  the  spot,  ami  from  that  day  the  [jlace  was  styled  .St.  Mary's.  Hut 
the  Commissioner  himself  had  a  frugal  mind.  The  people  built  their  school-house 
at  a  total  cost  of  /,ioo,  and  ai)plietl  for  the  bonus  of  ten  per  cent.  off(>red  by  the 
Compan\-  for  all  such  public  impro\  (■nu;nts,  wIumi  the  Company,  through  the  Com- 
missioner, reminded  them  that  they  had  alread\-  received  /,'io,  e.xactly  the  ten  per 
cent,  contemplated  I  I'"ro:n  what  source  those  ten  |)ounds  came  has  not  yet  been 
quite  ascertained.  At  an\  rat(^  the  town  got  a  prett\-  name,  and  was  probably 
sa\  (h1  from  being  dubbcnl  something  "  \ille,"  that  terrible  affix  which  over  the  whole  of 
this  continent  is  apparentU'  supposed  to  be  e(|ual  to  a  [)atent  ol  nol)ility,  or,  at  the  ver)' 
least  to  convey  with   it  a  sort  of    brc^vet   rank. 

Proceedinir  bv  rail  in  the  tlirection  of  Lake  Huron,  and  passing  the  llourishintr 
towns  of  Mitchell,  .Seaforth  ami  Clinton,  we  come  to  Goderich,  situatetl  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Mailhunl  River.  The  l.ak(.',  whost;  modern  name  is  taken  from  the  soiihriijitrt 
of  hiD'c  or  wild  boar,  given  b\-  tlie  I'rench  to  tlu;  \\'\andotte  Indians  on  account  of  the 
manner  in  which  they  dressed  tlu'ir  hair,  is  now  before  us  ;  a  pratically  ini'xhaustible 
reservoir  of  sweet  water  of  cr\stal  purity,  without  a  ri\al  on  earth  but  the  mighty 
rivals,  or  the  mightier  .Superior  in  its  own  ncMghbourhood.  Including  the  (ieorgian  liay 
and  the  Manitoulin  i}a\-,  it  has  an  area  of  about  22,oo(^  scpiare  miles,  so  that  European 
kingdoms  likt!  llolland  and  IJelgium  might  be  dropped  into  it,  ;ind,  as  the  a\erage 
depth  is  S6o  feet,  they  would  lea\<-  ''  not  a  wrack  behind."  Where  all  tliis  fresh  water 
comes  trom  is  a  m\ster\-.  Ihe  volume  altogether  transcends  our  ordinar)  measures. 
The  altitude  of  tin-  Lake  above  the  .\llaiuic  being  less  than  Ooo  feet,  it  follows  that 
nearly  ^^oo  feet  of  its  contents  are  below  the  level  of  the  ocean.  No  wonder  that 
storms  on  Lake  I  Liron  can  pile  up  rollers  that  seiMii  rt'spectable  in  the  ej'es  of  those 
who  know  what  tin;  .\tlantic  can  do  in  this  way  ;  but  it  is  a  wonder  that  most  of  the 
steamers  o\\  the  Lake  should  carr\-  so  much  top-hamper  and  be  so  little  on  the  motlel 
ol  ocean-going  craft.  .\t  almost  any  time  during  the  season  ol  naxigation,  travel- 
lers on  lluron  and  its  sister  lakes  mav  count  on  cool  l)reezes  or  something  stronger, 
except  during  the  Indian  summer  in  the  latt(!r  portion  of  Xcnember,  when  the  air  is 
mild  and  warm,  with  a  soft  haze  cov(M-ing  the  sky.  while  the  great  expanse  of  water 
remains  smooth    f<u-  two  or  three   unbroken   weeks. 

As  seen  from  the  Lake,  (loderich  lies  in  the  centre  of  a  large  curve  of  the  coast; 
and  with  its  church  s|)ires,  public  editices  auel  pretty  private  residences,  enriched  with 
the   bright,   green   foliage  of    abundant    trees,   it   has  an   .lir    of    (|uiet    an<l    almost    s]eep\- 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR  167 

beauty.  On  closer  inspection,  it  is  obvious  that  its  (growth  lias  not  been  lef'  to  acci- 
dent, nor  to  the  caprices  of  individual  taste,  but  has  bc(Mi  i)rovid(>d  lor  by  forethoutjht 
and  plan.  Less  than  a  mile  from  the  shore,  a  small  park  was  laid  out  in  the  form 
of  an  octa;^on,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  now  the  town-hall,  with  cupola  ami  clock,  its 
four  sides  faciiii;'  the  four  quarters  of  the  compass.  I'rom  this  ci-ntral  point,  spacious 
strt.'cts  ratliate  north,  south,  east,  and  west,  intersected  by  other  streets  at  measured 
distances,  alont:^  which  shade  trees  have  been  i)lanted  abundantly.  He\()nd  the  town, 
to  the  landwaril  side,  the  eye  wanders  over  a  vast  and  fertile  plain,  bearin_<^  in  sum- 
mer all  the  products  of  the  temperate  zone,  peaches,  almost  equal  to  those  of  the 
Niatjara  district,  included.  To  this  rich  plain,  dark-i^reen  patches  of  reserved  forest 
trees  i^ive,  the  aspect  of  the  ti^lorious  park-lands  of  Hnt;land.  Lakewards  the  bound- 
less expanse  of  an  inland  sea  meets  the  eye,  extending  its  ^listeniiit;  waters  to  a  far 
horizon.  Here  and  there,  at  wide  intervals,  the  level  lloor  of  water  is  broken  b\'  the 
white  sails  of  a  shij)  or  tlshing   boat,   or  Ijy   the   ilark   smoke  of  a  distant   steamt-r. 

The  corporation  of  Cioderich  has  wisc-l\-  secured  an  extensi\e  portion  of  tin;  i)lutf 
fronliui;  the  lake  for  a  public  park.  Laid  out  with  walks  and  adorned  with  trees,  it 
is  till'  ciiief  r(!sort  of  the  town,  and  a  favourite  resort  for  Nouni^'  and  old.  ()ur  tu'st 
illustration  represents  a  vi(!w  taken  from  the  hit^h  projecting'  |)oint  of  the  ]iark,  which 
looks  sheer  tlowii  on  Oi^iKit^'s  bi^:;^  tlourin^'  mill.  Here,  a  i^rantl  prospect  is  obtained 
ol  the  Lake,  its  far-<;xtendiii^-  rutj^ged  shores,  and  tlu-  riv(.'r,  in  the  hollow,  windin^*^ 
iis  tortuous  wa)'  amon<^  j^rass)-  islets.  .Seateil  on  one  of  the  benches,  or  rcx'lininLC 
uiiiler  the  lotty  acacia  tree;;;,  the  stranger  jj^azes  with  never-llajj;^j;injj^  interest  on  the 
extraordinary  combination  of  colours  that  the  waters  of  the  Lake  present.  Near  the 
shore,  proi)ably  because;  of  the  wash  that  stirs  up  the  sand,  is  a  broail  band  of 
minified  yellow  and  earth  colour;  tluMi,  ^reeii  "gradually  predominates  till  it  becomes 
pure;  j^reen  ;  and  i)e}-ond  that  the  deep  blue  that  reflects  the  sk\-.  I'lider  the  iiillu- 
ence  of  cloud  masses,  or  still  more-  strikint^ly  at  sunset,  bands  of  richest  xiolet,  piu'ple, 
and  every  hue  of  the  rainbow,  fuse  tuemselv(>s  between  and  into  the  main  divisions  ol 
colour,  till  the  heavens  are  a  bla/e  of  intlescribable  t^lor)',  anil  the  Lake  is  one  mass  of 
i^lowinj;,  shifting  tints,  with  detinite  outlines  of  such  singular  beauty  that  the  picture 
is  never  likely  to   be   forgotten    by  any  one   who   has  the   soul   of    an   artist, 

l'i;rclied  on  another  projecting  bluff,  that  by  some  special  favour  is  yet  preserved 
from  tli<'  d(!struction  of  the  elements,  the  Light-house  looks  almost  sheer  tlowii  on  the 
liarl)our.  It  contains  a  lixed  light,  consisting  of  numerous  lamps  with  silvi-red 
••ellectors,  ami  sheds  its  welcome  rays  far  over  the  dark  waters.  To  the  right,  lies 
the  harbour  in  the  deep  hollow  or  recess  which  the  united  waters  of  river  and  lake 
have  eaten  out  «)f  the  land.  A  broad  breakwattT  shields  it  from  the  w.isli  of  tin; 
Lake,  ami  the  entraiu:e  is  |)rotecteil  by  two  long  piers  of  crib-work.  Massive  as  these 
defences  are,   they  cannot  altogether  resist  tlu;    hydraulic  force  of    the    waves,   when  the 


i6S 


OUR  picruRRSorr. 


slorin  sweeps  Ironi  the  \viiitr_\-  iiorlh.  As,  however,  (iotlen'ch  is  one  of  the  \ei-\-  few 
harbours  on  this  e'Xposed  coast  into  which  hehited  \-essels  can  run  for  refuL;c,  and  is 
l)esiih:s  a  principal  shipping;  port  for  ^rain  anil  hnnlier,  the  honiinion  Cio\  eminent 
wisely  keeps  llu'  breakwater  in  re[)air.  Alonu^'  the  coast,  to  llu'  north  and  the  south, 
are  sexcral  lorest-crowned  .uid  ru;^L;(Hl  iiulentations,  whost;  e-;cai"pnients  indit'ate  that 
th(!  Lake  is  by  a  slow  but  sure  process  absorbing-  the  land.  l-on;,;'  ai^cs  ai^o,  the  fertile 
plains  which  lorni  the  peninsula  of  <)nlario  l,i\-  as  a  sedlnieni  in  the  depths  of  a 
vastly   L^reater  lake    than     Huron.  Ihe    L;r.ulual    elevalinn    of    the    continent     drii\c    the 

ancient  waters  into  ih<'ir  p'-esent  coniracteil  channels.  ivvidenth'  a  reaction  has  set 
in  by  which  the  i,akf  threatens  to  I'etlaini  its  own  a^ain  ;  antl  the  time  ina\'  (onie 
when,  in  ddiaiice  ol  all  that  man  can  do,  the  beautiful  peninsula,  now  full  of  human  life 
and   activity,    ma\'   return    to    its   waterx    bed,   or  become   like   the   swamps   of    .St.    (dair. 

Cioilerich  leaped  into  tenijiorarv'  importance  a  lew  \cars  a^^o  as  the  centre  of  a 
\\r\\  industrial  interest  in  (  )ntari().  Ihe  (ieolo^ical  Re[iorts  of  .Sir  Willi, un  l.oi^an 
earl}-  announced  that  the  «  )iiondaL;.i  ,L;roup  of  salt  rocks  ol  the  Silurian  sc:rie>  under- 
lay the  drilt  and  limestones  of  ,i  part  ol  Western  (  )ntario  ;  but  not  till  iS()()  was 
salt  actualK'  disco\ei-ed.  In  this,  as  in  a  ihous.ind  other  cases,  searchers  sou^^ht  one 
ihiiv^-  and  found  anoiher:  the  moiMl.  that  cannot  be  too  earneslK-  impressed  on  the, 
citi/ens  ol  a  countrw  ,i  <_;re,u  p.irt  ol  which  scientific  ])rospectors  ha\c  not  \et  exploretl,— 
beiuL;',  search  and  \'ou  are  sure  to  Inid  something.  In  this  case,  the  disco\cr\' 
was  made  by  a  man  ol  resolute  spirit  who,  in  the  face  of  doubts,  fears,  and 
disappointments,  w.is  boring;,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Maitland,  in  the  nei'^hbour- 
hood  ol  ('lod'^rich,  lor  oil,  without  thouL;ht  ol  salt.  .\l  that  time,  ])e()ple  were  boring 
lor  oil  in  almost  e\er\-  likely  spot  in  the  western  part  of  the  peninsula.  .\t  the 
depth  ol  about  one  thousand  feet,  he  came  upon  bi'ine  ol  the  luiest  (|ualit\.  1  hi-ee 
beils,  respeiiixcly  ol  lo,  y^,  ;ind  ;iJ  teet,  were  lound,  with  slight  inter\als  between, 
ol  pure  cr\'stalline  salt,  and  others  were  subse(|iientl\  reported  of  oo  ami  No  feet  in 
thickness.  I  lie  new  induslrx'  paid  so  well  .u  tn'st  thai  e\ci"\  one  in  (loderiih  in- 
\ested  in  salt  wells.  uearK  as  eai_;('rl\'  as  people  ,i  thous.and  miles  ;i\\a\'  in\cst  in  the 
cornel"  lots  ol  paper  towns  in  the  north-west.  'Idle  \alle\  of  the  Maitland  was  soon 
covered  with  (.lei'ricks,  and  the  imcstors  were  happ\.  I>ut  ^ood  brine  was  disco\ei"ed 
in  other  places,  the  Canadian  demand  proved  too  limited  for  the  number  of  manufai'- 
turers,  ,ind  the  \  niieil  Si.iies  market  was  "  pi-otecied."  Soon,  most  of  the  s.ilt  works 
had  to  be  operat<'d  onl\'  p.irti.ilK  or  to  close  ,ilto:^ether.  The  conlidin^'  people  who 
had  invested  their  savings  in  them  during;  the  salt  "boom,"  now  u;a/e  mournfnlK  on 
the  smokeless  chimne\s  and  buildiiv^s  nunblin;^  into  ruin,  that  tell  of  wasted  capital  aiul 
t'llort.  I  he  story  has  a  moral,  but  a  new  generation  is  not  likeh'  to  learn  it.  for 
seemingly   each    new   generation    has   to   pa\    lor   its   own   experience. 

The  are. I  ol    sail   rocks    has    Ijeeii     found    to    stretch     from    .Sarnia    lu    South, iinplon, 


y\  Y  Vv'  TIIHRX   X /■:/(;///!(  Vv' 


169 


SAr/r   woKKS   on    LAKK   HIiRON. 

aiiil   ca^t    to    .1    |ioliU     1h'\iiii(1    the 
|)r()S|tci"oiis       town      of      Scaiorlh. 
riii'\'   arc    till'    deposits   of    an   .inciciil     laiul- 
Idcki'd   lake,   cnihi'aciii^'    a  part    ol     MichiL^an 
ill   the   west,  the  <  )ntario    l*('nin-.iila  on    the  cast,  and   strctcli- 
iii^    south     as     far    as    S\rarnsc    in     Xcw     ^'ork.        The    salt 

was  solidified,  under  conditions  li.ird  for  us  to  iiii;ii,^ine,  and  in  (|nantities  sulVieiiMit  to 
supph'  this  continent  for  .''^cs.  .\s  the  salt  rock  is  dissoKcd  li\  the  water  that  runs 
<Iown  the  horc  from  springs,  it  follows  that  the  older  the  well  the  more  aluindant  ,ind 
((instant  will  he  the  (low  ol  l>rine,  and  that  snliterranean  salt  lakes  will  he  formed  of 
incrcasitV''  extent    and   deiith,       Ai   (Mic    of    the  mills,   such   an   under'-round    ca\  it\    lately 


170 


01  k'  ricTL'Ri'.sori-. 


swallowed    up    several    hundred    feet  of    iron     tuhinj^',    and    the    rise    in     the    le\el  of    the 
brine   was  such   that   seventy   feet   less   of    new   tuhe   sutticed   to   replaee   the   oUl. 

The  chemical  analysis  of  1  )r.  Sterr)-  llunt  in  i  SOO  indii:ated  that  the  salt  was  the 
purest  known,  and  the  most  concentrated  possible.  Subse(|uent  tests,  howe\cr,  have 
shown  a  decidcnl  chanij^e,  indicatiiiL^  an  iiicn;as(;  of  L'vpsum  and  the  solubh;  earthy 
chloritles  of  calcium  anil  ma,L,niesium.  This  may  lU'ise  from  the  brine  acliiit;'  as  a 
solvent  of  the  overlyiin^  earths,  and  increasing-  the  impuri;  (dements.  Chemical  pro- 
cesses beconu'.  therefore,  necessarx  to  tdiminate  tlu-se  foreign  innretlienls,  and  b\' 
this  means  tlu'  Imest  tabh;  salt,  and  salt  of  any  (|ualit\'  for  antisei)tic  or  agricultural 
purposes,  ma\'  be  made.  The  brine  is  almost  a  saturated  solution,  haxinL,^  a  density 
from  thirt\'  to  tiftv  per  cent,  greater  than  any  \v\.  found  in  the  I'nited  .Stat(!s.  As 
yet  tlu;  Clu'inical  Company  of  (ioderich  is  the  only  one  that  invokes  the  aid  of 
cheniistr\'  ;  but  scienc(,'  and  new  methods  must  come  into  play  unixcrsalb'  if  we  are  to 
hoKl  our  own  and  ile\idop  our  salt  or  any  other  industr\'.  "Lack  of  tmish  "  is 
frcqueiitU'  uriL^cd  against  Canadian  products,  and  there  is  some  i^rouiul  lor  the  chart:^e, 
notwithstanding  all    thai  a  short-sighted  and   miscalled   patriotism   may  saw      We   may  be 

(piite  sure  that  such  an  objection,  if 
at  all  founded  on  fact,  will  be  fatal 
in  those  da\"s  of  tierce  coiu|)etition 
and  nice  ailjustment  of  means  to  ends. 
in  iSSo,  an  ( )ntario  Agricultural 
Conunission  was  appointc;d  to  iiKpiire 
into  the  at^ricultural  resources  of  the 
Province,  anil  matters  connected  there- 
with, and  the  commissioners  found 
that  salt  now  enters  so  lari^cl)'  into 
the  business  of  the  i)roducer,  es- 
peciall)-  as  regards  clu'cse  and  i)utter- 
makiiiL;,  pork-packin^',  and  the  ferti- 
lizinj^-  of  the  soil,  that  its  consideration 
could  not  well  Ix;  is^niored  by  them. 
Thev  therefore  made  incpiiries  into 
its  manufacture,  the  extent  to  which 
it  is  used,  and  the  ])rejudices  ay^ainst 
Canadian  and  in  favour  of  bLnglish 
salt.  Ihi;  result  of  their  inf|uiries  was,  that  if  properly  manufactured  and  carefidly 
dried,  the  well-known  jiurity  of  Canadian  salt  is  fully  equalled  by  its  adaptabilit)-  to 
all  dairyiiiL^  pur|)oses,  and  its  e>;cell(Mice  as  a  factor  in  the  work  of  fertilization.  To 
show    how    e.xtensively    it     is    now    beinL,^     used     in     the    west    of    the    Province,     it    was 


S.M.r     WOKKI.KS 


NOR  T//HRX  NEIGUIH  Vv' 


i;^ 


stated    that    a    Scaforth     linn     luul     in    tlirci; 
nionllis  (j|    the  tlicn   ciirrciil  y(;ar  sokl  63,000 
tons   for  fi^rtiliziiij^r  purposes.       Ihe  evidence, 
with     scarcel)     an    exception,   was    als(j    com- 
pletely  in    favour  of    the    use    of    salt    as    an 
aL;cnt   in  enrichini,^  the    farm,   jJromotinL;    liie 
L;ri)\vlh.   and     protectini,^    the    earl_\-    plant    of 
the     root    crops     against     tlu- 
ravages    of     tlu;    ll\-,    and     as 
a     remed)'     for    some    of    the 
enemies  that  assail   tlu;  sprini^ 
wheat   crop.        it    is   no   small 
iriliute   to  the  purity  of  Cana- 
dian   salt    that,   notwithstand- 
ing;-   the    hi^h     fiscal     duty   of 
the    I'nited    States,    it    is   used 
in   immense  (piantities   in    the 
j^n'at   .\merican    pork-packin^i^ 
centres.      On  the  other  haiul, 
l'.nL,dish    salt     is    brought    to    Canada    at    little 
nil  ire    than    ballast    rates,   in    vessels    that     come 
lor     trei^hts     of    ^rain    or    lundjer     to     ilalifax, 
Quebec     and     Montreal.       ( )f    course     this     salt 
is    admitted    free    of     dut\,     and     as    it    is    used 
b\    the    fishermen  and   the    population  >^(;nerally 
of     the     I'.astern     and     .Maritime     Provinces     of 
llu'    I  )ominion.    the    area     over  which    Canadian 
salt  can    be   protitabl)'  distributed    is   very   much 
limited. 

The  International  is  the  lari;est  of  the 
(loderich  salt-works.  it  is  situateil  just  out- 
side tin-  town  boundary,  on  a  hi^h  bluff  over- 
looking the  Lake.  (  )ur  illustration  |)resents 
two  picturescpie  aspects  of  the  works.  In  the 
foreground  of  th<'  first  the  buildiiij^s  are  seen 
with  the  usual  truncated  pyr.imid  covering;'  the 
well.  Near  it  is  a  staj^c,  Irom  which  salt  in 
barrels  or  bulk  is  discharj^et,!  into  small  cars 
that    run   on   a    tramway  to    a    pier  on    the    Luke. 


w.wsiDK    fi.owi:r.s. 


or/y:  ruriRi-sorF. 


A  1      KlNcAKUlM 


[AVk 

fe^ 

1^'  " 

iM?-! 

^■';.\ 

liLiluT  11]),  a  similar  trcstlc-stagc 


is  seen,    from    whiih   tlu!    salt    is    pourcil 
thrniii^h    Ihiil;'    ciu-loscd    chutc-s  to    a    fc- 

cci\iii^-  house;  Ixlow,  to  be  carru^cl  thence  to  iIk;  pier  lor  shipment.  In  tlie  second, 
we  liave  a  |)art  o(  the  works  as  seen  from  the  IoiT:^  pi(;r.  Tlu;  tram\\a\'  curxcs 
ll[)  tile  deep  liollow  and  disappears  Ix'hind  tile  recei\inL;'  llouse  into  wliicli  the  two 
narrow  chutes  enter  from  the  lofty  tr(;stle-wf)rk  al)o\('.  (  )n  iIk;  left  is  tJK;  hare, 
wealJier-worii  escarpment  tliat  fronts  the;  Lake,  and  on  the  ri:^ht  is  tli<.'  wooded  and 
\crdure-ilad   ravine'  seen    in   hoth   views 

I'ew  counties  in  (  anada  are  so  !Lj;eneral]\'  fertile  and  so  splendidK-  adapted  for 
farming-  a^  Huron,  and  its  rapid  and  stead\-  de\'elo|iment  is  simpl\-  what  mi^lit  ha\'e 
been  anticipated  from  tlu-  class  of  peo|)le  Iiy  whom  it  was  settled.  l'^\er\  where  it 
presents  a  j^cnll)-  undulalinL,^  well-watereil  and  well-wooded  a|)peai'ance.  In  the 
smith,  the  charactiir  of  the  land  is  a  \cry  ricli  x-e^ctahh;  deposit,  underlaid  l)\-  the 
stroni^cst  of  cla\'  subsoils.  As  we  ^o  north,  it  hc^comes  lighter,  hut  <.'\('r\where  the 
crops  are  e.xcellent,  and    evidences  of    increasin*,^    wealth    and    C(jinfort    ma)'   be    scmmi    on 


\(  Vv'  T/Z/tA'X  NEIGH  in  >/v'  1 7  3 

every  h.'iiitl.  Towns  like  Seaforth,  Clinton  and  Winj^diain  are  alreaiiy  important  ci-ntrcs 
of  traile.  althoui^h  alnicjsl  cxcry  house  looks  as  if  it  had  come  recentl)'  out  of  the 
hiiilder's  hands.  Half  a  do/eii  rising'  vilkiL^es  are  likely  soon  to  "(tvoU-e"  into  towns, 
although  no  count)  has  j^ixi-ii  a  lander  continjj^ent  of  xoun,!^  men  and  the  \-er\  ereani 
of  its  |)Oi)ulation  to  the  \orth-wesl  than  lluron.  As  the  travellir  drives  aloiiL;  the  well- 
made  L;ra\(lled  roads,  lined  with  hrii^ht-yellow  L^olden-rods,  and  the  [(urplt!  Michaelmas 
daisy,  he  sees  hroad  acres  of  waving;  corn  and  luxuriant  meadow  strelchinLj  lar  away 
on  each  side,  a  stump-ilotted  patch  here  and  there  alone  remindinL;  him  that  all  this  has 
just  been   won    from   the  wilderness,   and   that   the  settler's  arrival   dales   from   yesterday. 

I.eaviiiL;  ("loderich  ri'L;i'etfull_v ,  lor  its  pure  atmosphere,  the  abundance  of  its  salt 
aiul  fre-^h  waters,  and  its  glorious  sunsf-ts,  combine  to  make  it  a  ilelii^htfid  sum- 
mer resort,—  we  mav  proceed  northward  b\-  one  of  th<-  Sarnia  steamers,  louihin;^' 
tn-sl  at  Kincardine,  the  chief  mark(;l-place  of  the  County  of  liruce,  or  travel  ovcr- 
laiul  to  W'alkerton,  the  coiuity  town.  The  north-western  extremitv  of  the  peninsula 
of  Ontario  is  politicall)  divided  into  the  counties  of  Hruce  and  (irev.  Tlu'ir  general 
aspect  and  the  nature  of  th(,'  surface  are  dc^termined  b\-  tin;  !L,feolo;^ical  formation.  The 
ij^reat  escarijment  of  rock,  embracim:;  the  lludson  River.  \iaL,^■u•a  and  (iuelph  forma- 
tions, which,  as  "the  Mountain"  winds  round  the  head  of  Lake  (Ontario,  turns  in  a 
north-westerlv  direction. 'curves  gradually  more  to  the  west,  anti  sweeps  throii!:^h  the 
northern  part  of  Lake  lluroii,  cuttiu!.;  off  the  (_Jcorijjian  Ua_v  and  North  Channc.'l  Irom 
the  main  bodv  of  the  Lake  l)y  the  Indi.ui  Peninsula  an<l  the  Cirand  Manitoulin  and 
other  islantls.  Tiiis  ideological  fact  results  in  a  comparatively  level  surface  in  the 
.southern  and  western  jxirtion  of  the  tract,  while  the-  north-eastern  becomes  broken  antl 
hilly  in  the  interioi-,  and  ruL;L;ed  and  rocky  near  tlu;  (ie(Mei.ui  Wax.  Bruce  is  a  very 
new  county,  tlu-  scttlemcMits,  exceptinn'  a  few  on  the  Lake  shore,  not  ilatini;  back 
more  than  thirty  year  .  The  lirst  settler  built  his  shanty,  it  is  said,  as  recenll}-  as  1848. 
Nowhere  are  we  more  surprised  at  beini^'  told  of  its  c.xtrc-nu.'  youth  than  when  we  see 
W'alkerton,  a  be.mtiful  little  town,  pleasantly  situated  in  a  saucer-shaped  \alley  formed 
by  the  windinL',s  of  the  .SauL;een.  its  main  street  was  "blazed"  throuL;;h  the  unbroken 
forest  as  the  line  oi  the  Durham  road  in  1S54.  The  peojjle  of  liruct,-  arc;  lar^t^h' 
immigrants  b-om  the  Western  Highlands  and  Islands  of  Scotland,  and  tlu;  children  of 
immii^rants  who  settled  in  more  east(,'rl\'  parts  of  Ontario  a  jL^eneration  earlier.  In 
many  of  the  townships  Caelic  is  the  prevailinsj;  lanij^ua!j;^e,  and  it  is  reL,'^ularl)'  used 
for  the  conduct   of    divine  service  in   many  of    the  churches. 

The  southern  part  ol  liruce  is  rolling,  tlu;  undulations  being  so  ViW^  and  gentle 
as  hardly  to  admit  of  our  usini.;-  the  t(;rms  hill  and  valley.  Clear,  beautiful  running' 
streams  wind  through  the  depressions,  the  majority  f)f  them  feeders  of  the  Sable  and 
Saui^een,  which  How  north-westerly  into  Lake  Huron.  The  whole  county  is  mas^nili- 
cently  watered,  and  the  growth  of    timber  is  very  heavy.      I'ine  is  scarce,  except  in    the 


174  och'  /'/("/'(  h'/-:s()c/-: 

rrcswiitcr  ami  other  trihutarics  of  the  SaiiL^ccn.  riicrc  is  a  lariLjc  proportion  of  _L;ravcl 
in  thf  soil,  1)111  the  huui  is  L^nxnl,  and  the  farms  an;  well  littcil  for  cither  .iraMe  or 
^ra/inL,^  purposes.  .Stran_L,H'rs  ofteti  express  astonishnieiit  at  the  sight  of  exec-lleiit  farms 
with  houses  and  oiithuildin^s  of  log  or  inferior  frame,  hut  the  explanation  is  that  many 
of  the  people  haN'e  onl\-  reacluul  tin;  stage  of  putting  their  land  in  order  for  the 
plough.  Some  have  advanced  to  the  point  of  hiiikling  good  harns,  and  a  few  ha\(! 
reached  the  third  stage;  of  ha\ing  superior  dwtdiing  houses.  I'"ruit  growing  is  \(i  in 
its  infancy.  Peaches  can  he  cultivated  successfulU'  onlv  on  the  Lake  shore,  hut  apjiles 
and  plums  have  shown  astonishing  results  in  the  si/e  and  h<;aut)'  of  the  specim«ins  sent 
to  the  ;\gricultui-al  Ivxhihitions.  The  long  range  of  the  Indian  Peninsula  seems 
naturally  lilted  to  hecome  one  ol  the  tinest  |)(ulions  of  the  l)ominion  for  the  ^r(.\\th 
ot  apples,  plums,  and  grapes.  That  the  soil  is  good,  though  largel)-  rock\'  or  ston\-, 
the  immense  sugar  maples  and  elms  witness.  Idle  lemperatin-(.'  is  kept  low  in  the 
spring  months  hy  the  ice  in  the  ("leorgian  Ikiy,  and  thus  the  hlossoming  of  the  trees 
is  retarded,  whih-  the  large  l)Oil\-  of  water  on  tMch  side  secures  exemption  from 
summer  an<t  earl\'  autumn    frosts. 

P)Ul  our  steamer  is  drawing  near  the  harhour  for  which  we  took  tickets  at 
C'loderiih.  Kincardine  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  I'enet.mgore,  a  corru[>tion  of 
Indian  words,  meaning  a  stream  with  grax'el  on  one  side,  aiul  sand  on  tlu;  other.  (  )n 
the  land  side,  the  \illage,  which  rises  from  the  short:  hy  a  series  of  terraces,  is  encom- 
passed hy  a  fertile  and  heautilul  range  of  townships.  The  rixcr,  which  runs  through 
it,  though  turhuleiit  enough  in  spring,  shrinks  to  a  rivulet  in  summer.  its  course  has 
heeii  skillull\  turned  northward  h\  hlocking  the  old  channel  and  cutting  a  new  one, 
in  order  to  proxide  adt'tpiate  aiHommoilation  for  the  northern  extension  ol  the  (ii^eat 
Western  K.iilroad,  which  has  its  terminus  at  Kincardine.  Hy  an  ahrupt  heiul,  the 
stream  now  passes  into  an  artilicial  harhour,  which  is  protected  1)\'  two  long  piers 
of  crih-work,  forming  a  channel  wiile  and  tieep  enough  to  lloat  the;  larg(.;st  ships  that 
na\igal<'  the  Lake.  One  liglit-house  is  placed  near  the  i'\\i\  of  the  north  pier,  and 
an<nher  at  the  harhour.  ()ur  steamer  passes  up  this  narrow  entr.ince,  the  |)asseng(;rs 
coming  to  the  how  to  see  the  port  that  they  are  making,  after  a  thirt\-  miles'  sail  on 
the  Lake.  Idle  illustration  shows  the  north  |)ier  with  hoih  lightdujuses  on  the  left; 
in  the  distanc(;,  on(;  of  the  large  salt  works,  with  i'lshdioust's,  that  skirt  the  harhour; 
and  part  of  the  village  ahove.  As  seen  from  the  Lake,  Kincardine  reposes  in  the 
hollow  of  ,1  gracefid  cur\-e  of  the  coast,  the  extreuK;  points  ilistant  ahout  eighteen 
miles,  the  clilfs  here;  ami  there  covered  with  native  trees  that  descend  to  the  water's 
i'A'^v.,  hut  in  most  ])laces  cut  into  and  wasted  hy  th<;  erosion  of  the  elements.  Tlu' 
village  has  a  llourishing  appear.mce.  TIk.-  puhlic  scpiare  is  planted  with  ornamental 
trees,  and  contains  a  heantiful  Methodist  Church,  with  the  Model  School  on  one;  side, 
and  a  large    Town    Ilall    on    the    other.       The    business    centre    consists  of    a  lonijf,   well- 


A  ( Vv'  I  llERX  MiHilllU  y< 


J  75 


^>,-^«-rAf^t^i«*^- 


KVi;.NI\(;     AT     sol' I  II AMI'lo.N. 


liiiill  street.  To  the  north,  oil  ;i  lieij^ht  overh)okin;^'  tlie  \  ilhi^'e,  is  the  I'resl)\  terian 
(."hiinli,  a  hir^c  ("lothic  e(Htice,  iht;  interior  elal)oralei\'  frescoed,  and  tlie  exterior  onl\' 
wanting'    a    spire  to   inai<e   it  e(|ual    in  appearance   to  tlie  best   of    our  cit\-  churclies. 

KiiicartUiK;  followed  ('loderich  in  the  speculative  mania  tli.it  arose  on  the  first 
disco\ery  of  salt.  I'lic  lioriiv^s.  lio\ve\-er,  were  wisel\-  niatU?  or.  the  low  heacli  and  not 
on  the  hi^h  cliffs  ;  and  althoui^di  less  pictures(|ue  \V(;re  less  costly.  Tliex'  h.ul  tb.e 
adxaiitanc,  loo,  of  hi-iiit^  close  to  railroad  and  harhour,  S.ilt  of  the  best  (|ii,ility  vas 
found  at  a  depth  of  about  goo  feet,  and  thrci'  substantial  works  were  erecttnl,  capable 
of    turniiii^  out  a  thousand   barrels  per  day.        Here,  as  at   (ioderich,   ovt-r-production   led 


i7r. 


(UN  rn  rrRr.sorii 


%e^ 
•^S^''- 

II'  /'^.c: 


.J.K 


A     KISHINC;     STAl'lON     ON     I.AKI       IIL'KON. 


to  the  inc\ilal)li'  coiiscchicium's,  and  capital  was  \vast<'<l.  Oiil\-  diic  of  the  wells  is  mwx 
bi'iiiL;  workcil,  l)iii  ii  is  liopcil  tliat  iin|iro\('(l  indhods  ot  niamilaclui-  ■  .md  an  iiui'ciscd 
di'iiiaiul    may   rex  ix'c   the   others. 

All  iljiist ration  prcsciUs  a  \ii\v  ot  the  ^alt  works  from  th(  broad,  sand\  heath  lo 
the  norili  ol  the  liarlioin".  i  he  luo  loiv,;  piers,  juttiiii^  lar  out  into  the  dee|)  waters 
of  the  Lake,  look  like  one  ill  the  diuance.  On  the  nearer  i->  the  outermost  liL;ht- 
honse,  wiiije  lie\()iid  i-,  the  \ast  Lake,  its  waters  ^listenin'^  under  a  Lrillianl  summer 
sk_\-,     llecked     here    and     thei^e     with     lleecx'     C'louds.  rile      L.lke     is,    ot     course,    the     m.iin 

f('ature  ol  the  scener\  of  tliis  western  loast,  .md  it  L;i\'es  a  wonderful  chai'in  to  e\cry 
place  that  it  touches.  Llie  lime  will  come  when  tlu'  waterinL;-places  on  tln'se  shores 
will  III-  more  prized  I)\  the  |)e()ple  of  the  inland  towns.  I  leie,  they  tan  L;('t  close  at 
hand  tresli  Lree/es,  and  a  broad,  sand\  beach,  while  a  small  expenditure  at  almost  an\- 
|)oint  will  |)ro\ide  all  needed  faiilities  for  bathini^'.  .\  few  miles  north  of  ( loderich  a 
comfortable  summer  hotel  has  been  started,  especialK  for  the  aciommoilation  of 
tourists,  and  a  pleasantt;r  place  to  spend  a  week  in  it  would  bi'  ditticult  to  tmd.  The 
immediate  surroundings  are  those  of  a  lar!_,n'  farm  rather  than  of  an  hotel  ;  ami  one 
has  onl\-   to  stroll    down   the    wooded    bank    and  alonu"    the   beach   to   s^et    at   once   into  a 


i\YM'  rilHRX  Min.lllU  )A' 


irr 


rci^iiin  whose  pcrfrct  |ic.icc  is  hroki'ii  only  !)\-  tlir  in,iiiy-\<ii< cd  lauj^lucr  of  tlu'  Lake  or 
the  iliiinil«r  of  Wines  rolling  in  with  tlic  iiuijcsly  of  ocfaii.  Siinihir  resorts  will  \tv 
iniilli|ihi'(l  indi'linilily  ;  for  modern  hie  is  iiUense,  and  periods  ot  relaxation  .ire  essiMi- 
lial.  No  inlhienees  exert  a  more  heahn^  hahn  on  the  le\ered  spirit  than  tliose  that 
eon-^tanlly  sin-am  out  troni  the  desert  or  ih<'  lorest,  the  mountains  or  the  sea;  and  to 
the   |iei«|ile   ol     Western    <)ntario,    l.ak<'    llin'on    is   no   indillereiit    ^nhstitnte   for   the  s 'a. 

The  aniient  oi(ii|)alion  of  lisiiin^  is  a  more  proinaiile  iiuhistry  to  the  people  of 
Kincardine  than  salt  mannl.utnre.  Larv;*'  and  snlistantial  wherrii's  lea\e  the  harhoiir 
at  the  I'arK  dawn,  ami  return  alioui  noon  Irom  their  favourite  resorts,  whirh  lie  alioiil 
tweniv  miles  distant.  I  he  ordinar\  tatch  \aries  Irom  one  to  two  thousand  poimds. 
1  he  lish  .ire  i4ener,ill\  I  le.ined  on  the  Lake,  and  on  the  Ixiat's  ,irri\al  m  port  they 
pass  into  ,1  contractor's  h'nds,  l)\  whom  they  are  shipped  to  the  markets  ol  C'anaila 
and  till'  I  nited  .States,  either  packed  in  ice  or  according  to  a  new  plan  fro/en, 
indi'ss  when  the\  are  pickh d  or  li.irnlled.  'I"he  lish  nsiialh-  caught  in  the  northern 
Lakes  are:  the  salmon  ii-out.  from  twent\-lour  to  sixty  inches  Ioul;.  anil  sometimes 
wei^^hiu;.;  torty  pounds;  the  while-tish.  the  pi'ide  ol  Canadian  waters  ,iiid  1)\  mam- 
i^oiiriihh  (onsidered  the  linest  cif  the  lislu  trilie  ;  the  laki'  hei'riuL;.  \r\-\  aliundant  at 
cert.iin    seasons  in   shallow     waters,   and    not    unlike    the   herring   of    the  ocean  ;     the    lake 


.si.  rilM.      lUK     iNLl. 


178  o(7<  picrrRi'.sorh: 

stiirj^eon  and  the  <^\\x  fish,  survivors  of  tlir  i^anoid  and  annour-clad  t'lsh  of  the 
Pala-ozoic  aj^e.  l^ass,  perch,  and  the  spotted  trout— tht'  jo)'  of  \.\\v.  sportsman-  are 
caiii^ht  b\-  amateurs  in  the  rivers  and  crei'ks,  and  l)y  ever\-  hoy  who  can  lilt  a  rod,  and 
every  loafer,  when  he  can  summon  iMier^v  enoui;h  to  take  his  hands  out  of  his  pockets, 
or  a  little  more  than  he  neinls  to  tdl  his  pipe.  The  farther  north  the  better  and  the 
more  abundant  the  t'ish.  Hence,  the  more  southern  tishernu.'U,  alter  the  s|)rin]:j'  catch, 
go  north    to   Killarney.  and  as  far  as  the  lishinL;   "grounds  and   ])orts  of    Lake  Superior. 

But  we  must  Li(>  on  to  Southampton,  the  next  port  at  which  the  steamer  touches, 
if  we  would  see  the  most  famous  tishim;'  grounds  and  the  heatl(|uarters  of  tiie  fishing 
industry  ^iw  Lake  lluron.  This  \illage  was  the  earliest  settU'ment  in  the  comity  of 
Bruce,  and  its  fountlers,  animated  by  hopes  anil  ambitions,  laid  out  a  town-|)lot  large 
enough  for  a  city.  Hut  the  fates  were  against  it,  ami — strange  fortune  for  an\-  place 
in  W'esti-rn  ()ntari()  -it  is  stationar\  or  positively  declining.  1  he  brisk  \illage  of 
Port  I'!]gin.  where  the  educational  institution  or  "college"  of  the  I'nited  iirelhren  is 
situatt'd,  drew  awa\"  its  i)usinc>s,  and  now  it  is  a  little  like  one  of  tho^c  decayed 
families  that  linger  lovinglv  in  meinor\-  .iiul  spc;ech  on  the  glories  of  the  ]i;!st.  Xo 
newsiKiper  is  publishetl  in  the  \  illage.  What  more  neetl  be  said  to  slu)w  iiow 
unintlueni'ed  it  is  b\-  tlu."  spirit  of  tlu'  age  I  Southampton,  notwithstanding,  is  a 
charming  spo'  the  \vx\  sleepiness  ol  its  inhabitants  making  it  i)leasant  to  \isitors 
who  long  for  nothing  so  much  as  r<'posi'.  Ihe  \illage  is  situate<l  at  the  mouth 
of  the  S.uigeen.  It  the  axis  of  a  larg(,'  curve  of  the  coast.  The  mouth  of  the  river 
is  sheltered  1)\-  a  long  pier  of  crib-work  Irom  the  sweep  of  the  north  winds,  antl  thus 
a  harbour  for  the  tine  lishing  boats  ol  the  pi, ice  is  loriiKtl.  The  princip.il  harbour, 
however,  is  at  some  distance  to  the  south  ol  this  river  harbour.  The  construction  ol 
massive  piers  or  breakwaters  fr(un  the  main  short  to  the  end  of  Chantr\  Island,  with 
a  suitable  entrance,  has  formed  a  magnilici'nt  anchorage'  for  the  largest  \esseU  in  the 
severe  storms  to  which  this  wliole  coast  is  e\p.)sed.  .\t  the  other  end  ol  the  island, 
a  large  beacon  has  been  erected  at  some  distance  from  the  shore,  to  indicate  the  limits 
of  the  chainie!  and  the  extent  of  a  dangerous  shoal.  The  islaiul  is  evident!)  part  of 
an  extensive  bar.  formed  by  tin;  waters  of  the  .Saugeen  and  the  Lake,  which  stretches 
along  the  whole  front  of  the  vill.ige,  enclosing  a  deep  basin  with  channels  at  both 
ends.  Lnmeiise  (piantities  of  l.irge  boulders  of  gr.niite,  gneiss  and  trap  are  foimd  on 
till'  sho.il,  i)rought  down  bv  lloes  of  shore  ice  from  the  northern  coast  :  a  line  instance 
of  tile  process  bv  which  sand,  gravel,  and  boulders  h.ive  for  countless  ages  been 
ilislriliuled    over    the    northern    regions    of    the    earth. 

The  rivei  ii.irbour  or  cove  is  the  one  frecpienteil  bv  the  rishermeii.  Their  wharves 
line  its  right  bank.  Her(\  too,  are  their  liouses  for  cle.ining,  p.icking,  and  storing  t'ish 
and  t.ickle,  with  c(«tta!;es  intermixed,  uvl  reels  for  drving  or  repairing  their  nets. 
Looking  down    this  side  of    the   river  our  ilhistrations    give   us  two  vic;ws.       In    the  one 


.1 


XOf!  TlfERX  XH/G/rnOR 


179 


L 


Willi      1111;      IISIIII-IMI.N     ON      1  AKI       IHKON. 


l,9o 


OCA'  ricrrRr.sorr. 


the  huts  ami  boats  arc  under  the  sh.ulow  of  a  tloiid,  ami  the  liit^h  hanks  on  Ixjth 
sides  are  seen  looniiii;^  in  ihr  di^tanic,  while  the  llouiiiL;  w. iters  ol  the  ii\ii'  are  hi^hled 
u|i  li\  a  ;^leani  Ironi  the  ritted  sk\-.  1  he  other  is  |ii'esent<'tl  in  hriL^ht  Minshine.  A 
;^rou|i  ol  Ins  hes  lo  the  ri^ht  ol  the  ckiw  \  on  the  slopm:;^  hank  to  the  jell  are  i^roups 
ot  huts  and  eotlai^es  ;  in  hont  are  the  uhar\cs,  with  hoals  just  arriving;,  and,  in  the 
(hslame,   the   shiinmerin;^    \\at<'rs  ol     the    l.ake. 

I  he  vilhii^e  |ii"oj)i  r  lies  lietween  lite  two  harliours.  and.  I>\'  a  gradual  ascent, 
stretches  haik  a  loii;^-  way  to  the  reai\  A  lake  on  the  heiL^lus,  co\crim^  a  s|)ace  of 
about  twcnl\  acres,  and  ol  unknown  de|)lh,  is  .i  ciniosit\  in  its  wa\.  A|)[iarenil\  it  has 
neither  inlet  nor  outlet,  so  that  whemc  its  water  conies  .iml  whither  it  i^dcs  c.iii  onl\' 
be  con)eclur((l.  l)oulilless  it  is  led  li\  the  drain. ii^e  ol  th<-  hi;4her  land  that  sprine's 
up  within  its  1)1(1.  ,ind  retains  its  in\;irialile  le\c|  1(\  a  ( orrespondinu;  diainai^c  of  its 
waters  throuL^h  the  >ir,itilied  s.uid  int(.  the  Lake  below.  it  luiL^hl  easiK-  be  made  thi; 
centre  ol  a  lieaulilul  publii  park.  w<re  it  not  lor  a  tanner\  reeeiuK'  erected  on  its 
bank  b)-  the  aid  ol  a  bonus.  \ia,;ai"a  is  turned  to  base  uses,  and  how  can  lesser 
glories  hope  iM  escape  desecration/  We  are  at  present,  thanks  to  oiu"  constant  slrm;- 
gle  with  natur".  in  that  sta^^e  ol  esisience  in  which  t.ill  chimmws  are  reL;ard<'d  as  more 
beautilul  objects  ih.m  those  which  ( row  ned  the  Acropolis.  ,\  mill  is  a  \  ision  of 
deliL^ht,  proiulb  pointed  out  to  the  sir.iU'^er,  and  the  hum  ol  machiner\'  is  sweeter 
than  til.'  music  of  the  sphei-es.  W'e  istimate  the  amount  ol  h.ippiuess  likel\-  to  be 
eiijoxi'd  in  cil\  m'  xilkiL^c  b\  the  number  ol  its  manulactiu'cs,  and  we  are  supremeK' 
indifferent  to  the  ojiinion  ol  moi-e  cidtured  people,  who  would  .iL^ree  with  our  estimate 
on  condition  that  ihe\  were  allowid  to  m,d\e  it  in\crs(|\.  (  )|  coin'--e,  the  artist  can 
have  no  s\in|i.iih\  with  such  sentiments,  but  he  mi'^ht  rei^aiil  them  .is  not  simply 
indie, iiiii;^  the  s,i\.i;^e  st.ite  of  beiii;,;,  had  his  latliei'  been  on<'  ol  the  hard\  Scotchmen 
who  immigrated  to  liruce  thirt\  \c,irs  ai^'o.  "  KoiiL^hin^;  it  in  the  bush"  is  deli^htlul 
lor  a  pic-nic  or  summer  holid.n.  but  when  it  me.ms  uni-einittiiiL;  toil  lor  a  liletime 
undei-  the  sti'rnesi  con  liiion  ol  lixin,;,  it  is  noi  wuiderlul  ih.u  iwerythin;^  that  looks 
in  the  direction  ol  lab()in'-sa\  in,;  m.n  hmerv  should  ( onie  to  be  hailed  as  :i  bless- 
ing;, or  th.it  l.u  torii--  should  be  ie_;,u'ded  .Is  the  symbols  ol  ci\  ili/ation.  Mr. 
Kuskin.  it  known  ,it  ,ill  to  -^uch  .1  (oimmniil\,  would  be  considered  a  lunatic.  l^sih.'tic 
deln:iencies  not witii->t, Hiding,  .1  liner  \ ci.in.inrs'  th.iii  llu-  people  ol  those  .North-western 
cotinlic-s  it  would  be  diiljcult  to  liud.  I\ ' '1  i'.^  ioii  s.  i  lid  II  st  rii  M  c  ,iiid  pro',;ressi\-e,  tliev  ha\e 
con'pierc'd  the  wilderncs-,  :  .md  ihi  old  men  are  willlii';  to  be^in  pioiic  i  r  work  .i',;ain 
for  till'  s.ike  ol  iheir  i  hildreii.  I  he\  boiijlii  their  Luid  lor  a  noiniii.il  ,iim,  ,md  now 
tli.it  il  is  \-,ilu.ible  the\  are  putliii;;  il  in  tin  m.irket,  not  Iroin  lo\e  ol  chac^ie  init 
beC.UISe     the     proi d.      will      enable    them      to     -etlle     in     the     \ollh-West,     with     h.lll     .1    do/en 

soils,    on    .is   in.iiu    l.ll■ln^.    in    tlnir  own    immediate    nei^libou:  liooil.        .Such    ,iie    the     in'-h 

who    I.IV    tile    true      lol|lli|,ition->    of     the     count  "N-.        .\o      more     lerlile     ,md      be.lUtillll     district 


VOA'  ////■: A'.V   XliK.llllOR 


iSi 


I'KI  I'AKINC      IISII      KiK     MAKKKT. 


in  that  round  Snntli,iin|itnii  and  I'ma  I'.l'^in  is  id  lie  foiuid  in  Canada  :  and  the  same 
i\  Ix'  said  III  llic  r()in)li-\  all  alim^  the  SaiiL^fi'ii  and  ils  li-ilmlarics  :  of  l'ai-^lc\ ,  lican- 
illy  situated  at  the  conllui'iiic  ol  the  rrcs,uai('i-  awA  the  San^ccn  :  ol  the  \illa"(s  df 
I'^ley,  laifknow.  ICcsw  ali|-,  ;ind  indeed  ol  almost  e\ei-\  to\\nshi|)  in  I'liaice.  That 
:t   ol    the   conntx    Kin',;    noith   ol    a   line  drawn   Ironi    the   month   of    the   San"een    to  the 


l82 


OL'R    /'/CTl'RF.SQC/': 


NORTIfF.RN  NEKilinOR  iS;, 

luoiith  of  .'  Sydciiliiun  was  lon^'  an  Iiulian  Rt.'scrv(;.  Iht;  Indians  gave  up  a  "  lialf- 
inilc  sirij)  "  from  ri\cr  to  river,  on  condition  of  tin;  (iovcrnnicnt  Ijuililint;  a  road  troin  one 
point  to  the  other,  lint  the  road  hrouLjiit  in  iinniii^rants  ;  antl  in  1S55,  Lord  lUiry, 
titi;  privat(;  secretary  of  tlie  ("iovernor-(ieneral,  was  sent  to  the  Chiefs  to  nej^otiate  a 
treaty  that  would  open,  for  a  consideration,  th(!  Reserve  for  settlement.  lie  succeeded 
in  ohtaininj.;  their  consent,  thoui^di  the  principal  Chief  was  reluctant  to  "  move  on " 
before  the  encroachin;.^  white  man.  Now,  the  names  of  townships,  town-plot,  roail  and 
almost  everythiiij4'  elst;  in  the  peninsula  suj^nrest  onl)-  his  Lordship  and  the  Keppel 
family  instead  of  the  old  lords  of  the  soil.  Wiarton,  the  commercial  capital  of  the 
tlistrict,  needs  onh'  additional  railroad  facilities  to  i)ecome  the  centre  of  much  wider 
interests.  Amony^  new  towns  it  has  an  aspect  of  extreme  nt'wness ;  but  its  site  at 
the  head  of  Colpoy's  Ha\  is  of  such  strikinin  and  uncommon  beauty  that  it  des(!rves 
a  visit.  Colpoy's  \\\\\  claims  a  place  Ix^side  .Sydney,  Halifax,  and  Ouebec  as  one  of 
the  linest  harbom's  of  Canada.  The  entranc:e  is  mark(Hl  1)\-  the  loftN'  Capes  Croker 
and  Commodore,  and  the  islanils  which  lie  between  the  capes  com|)letel}'  prott;ct  it 
from  the  swell  of  the  (ieort^ian  IJay,  and  form  a  land-lockeil  expanse  of  water  nine 
mil(;s  loni^  anil  from  one  to  three  miles  wid(\  What  a  plac<.'  for  yachting;,  both  in 
itself,  anil  as  a  base  of  operations  for  explorin;^  the  shores  and  thousands  of  islands 
of  the  (ieori^ian  Ha\'  !  I'-\er\  one  in  Wiarton  owns  a  l)oat  and  knows  how  to 
mana:.;*'  it.  .\  visitor,  horrilied  at  seeine  ;i  .Simdax-School  pic-nic  part\'  !.(oin^-  out 
in  small  sailing'  boats,  was  comforted  on  being  told  that  the  children  were  so  accus- 
tomed   to    boating    that    they  had    become    am|)hil)i()us. 

A  trip  out  into  the  open  sea  of  Lake  llwron.  with  one  of  the  lishing-boats  that 
start  from  .Southam|)toM,  is  something  that  transcends  orilinar\  \achting.  I  he  wherries, 
which  are  of  the  (in<"^t  build  .uul  sailing  ipialities.  are  owninl  and  manned  1)\  hardv 
.Scottish  I  lighlanders.  b.ach  boat  has  its  complement  of  four  men,  one  at  least  ,<  ()f 
whom  is  sure  to  be  a  mine  to  those  who  are  interested  in  character.  The  owner  of 
the  wlierr\  will  probably  have  .1  ruggecl  dutside,  but  there  are  inlmite  fouiils  of  silent 
heroism  within  :  and  some  ol  these  become  vocal  and  distinctl)  articulati-  if  you  let 
him  know  that  you  Iom:  the  West  llighlands.  or  show  that  \()u  sympathize  with  the 
l).icku<«idsm.in's  life,  or.  better  still,  if  you  ha\f  a  few  words  of  (iaelic  on  h.uul. 
W'e  owe  much  to  Mr.  lil.K  k  b)r  re\-ealing  "the  L<'ws  "  to  us,  ami  .Sheila  herself  is 
not  so  interesting  as  her  l.ither  ;ind  her  faithful  henchmen.  \'\\<.'  Princess  is  partly 
ideal  ;  the  others  are  real.  .\nil  such  n.itures  ne\-er  lorget  the  old  land,  though  none 
,ire   truer   to    the   new. 

The  sail    itself  is   delightful.        There  is  a    joy   in   the  cool    fresh    bnath   ol     the    gra\ 
morning,   and    then    in    the   sense  of    r.ipid    motion    through   the    blue   sparkling   waters    in 
boats  that   you    know   can    face  any  storm    that     m.iy  .irise.       The   interest   o(     the    catch 
the  si/e  and    beant\    of  the  silverv   tish,   and   the   no\eli\-   of    the  scene,   all    help  to   make 


1^4  OCR  /'/cT(h'/-s(jr/-: 

the  t:.\|)C(liti()n  (lcli\L;htfiil  ;  ami  when  the  t'islicnncn  arc  hmiIn  for  tin-  riiii  home,  in- 
stinct, with  i\\v.  i-omlortahli'  fcdiiiL,^  liiat  tlicy  have  not  lahonrcd  in  \ain  and  that  tlic\- 
may  take  a  sleep  or  a  smoke,  xou  are  ready  to  aceepi  their  hos|)itaMe  oiler  to 
aeci)ni|)any   them   another  da\'. 

iMom  Southam])ton  we  cross  country  l)y  stajj^c;  to  the  comity  town  of  drey, 
unless  we  prefer  to  ,^^\\\  Irom  Wiarton,  or  make  a  loni^  backward  detour  hy  rail  till  we 
come  upon  till-  I '»roni(i,  ("inv  <X:  IJrnce  line.  The  approaih  to  (  )wen  Sound,  the 
count)'  town,  i-^  pirtnrescjue  and  r:\lher  striking;',  by  steamho.it,  stai,u'-coach,  or  e\cn  l)y 
mil.  TlAe  j^reai  Xla^^ari  eMarpnur,!  run^  through  the  county,  hecominj.;'  "the  Ulue 
Moimtains"  of  Norlhi  iii  drev  thai  extetul  to  (."ahot's  Head.  .Much  of  the  topot^^raphy 
is  therefore  rou^h  and  broken  compareil  with  the  districts  to  the  west  which  ue  ha\e 
hitherto  beei^.  describiii!.^  ;  so  much  so  that  at  parts  it  is  called  mountainous.  The 
rather  amljitious  adjectixc  may  be  allowed,  as  lons^-  as  \\v.  are  in  Ontario,  on  the 
principle  that  amonsj^  the  blind  the  one-eycnl  man  is  kiuj;.  In  order  to  esiape  the 
j^reat  limestom;  rocks  that  environ  tlu;  town,  the  railroail  begins  a  circuilous  route 
about  three;  miles  from  where  tlu;  engine  whistle  sit^nals  the  appro, uh  to  its  northern 
terminus,  and  thus  -to  the  disturbance-  of  our  to])o;.^raphical  ideas-  -we  enter  (  )\\cn 
St)und  from  the  north  insteatl  of  from  the  south.  Coming;  by  steamer  from  W  iaiion, 
or  in  the  opposite  direction  from  Collin,L,Mvood,  we  .uiil  up  the  beautiful  ba\  ih.u  has 
j.,dven  its  name  to  the  town,  and  forms  here  an  e.xcilleiit  harbour.  (  )n  the  one  siile 
is  the  old  Indian  \illaL;e  of  Hrooke.  the  spire  of  what  was  once  the  Indian  Churih 
the  ccjuspicuous  obje-ct.  ( )n  the  othei\  l.imestoiu;  Clill  stands  out  now  hi^h  in  aii'. 
though  in  tornu'r  a;^'es  the  wa\es  ol  .i  mightier  l,d<e  than  lliu'on  and  the  (icor^ian 
Hay  combined  dashed  aj^Minst  its  front.  (  )n  both  sides,  alon^'  the  toast  as  l,ir  as 
the  eye  can  reach,  the  l.uid  shows  a  series  of  wcll-dellned  terraces  or  ancit-nt  be, u  lies 
rising;'  up  to  the  perpendicuhu'  cliffs  of  Niai^.ira  limestone.  In  man\  ]iku:es  these  clilTs 
are  split  into  L^reat  sections,  the  rents  of  which  have  been  widened  by  we.itherin^  intcj 
immature  cai^ons,  which  on  their  e.xposeil  surfaces  nuist  \)v  danet-rous  traps  to  the 
traveller.  .Such  rent  cliffs  are  tine  instances  of  the  ilestriictivt'  effects  of  atmos- 
pheric erosion,  ami  ot  the  wa_\'  b\  whic;h  in  the  course  of  ai^cs  the  Sound  itself 
h.'is  been  formed.  The  rock  bciny^  hi^hl\-  absorbent  of  moistiu'e.  the  autumn 
rains  lodoc;  in  its  cre\  ices  ;uul  joints  ;  and  in  winter  the  crystalline;  expansion 
of  freezini^  rends  it  into  fragments.  In  sprin!.,^,  a  mass  of  f.illen  dchris  enlarges 
the  talus  at  the  base  of  the  cliff.  If  the  waters  of  the  Sound  stood  as  hij^h 
as  they  once  ditl.  their  waves  would  tfrind  these  an^^ular  blocks  into  boulders, 
gravel  and  s.ind.  and  transport  them  into  deep  water.  The  (;nter|)ris(;  of  man  is  now 
doing  what  these  natural  forces  no  longer  do,  by  burning  the  brokiMi  fragiiK'tits  into 
quicklirne,  and  (piarrying  large  blocks  for  the  erection  of  factories  anil  ilwellings.  Ice- 
floes   have    also    done    their  work    here  as  on    the  outer    ;;hor(!s  of    the    Lake,   by   trans- 


A  YVv'  TiiERX  nek:  1 1  no  R 


^H 


portiii!^-  imiiu'iis(;  {|ii;uililics  of  i^iicissic  aiul  ujr.initc  hoiililcrs  and  |)cl)l)l('s  from  tlu' 
I  .aiii'ciuian  rocks  in  the  north  lo  tlu'  sliorcs  ot  \\\r  Sound.  A  drixc  Iroin  the  town 
lo  llu;  littlf  villai^^i-  ot  ilrookr  will  show  these  in  tens  ol  thoiis.inds.  As  our  slcaincr 
draws  nearer  to  the  head  of  the  hax,  j^reat  wiiile  rocks  ((inie  into  view.  Tln'n  the 
rocks  on  l)oth  sides  con\fr^c,  and  in  the  \,dley  helween.  on  .in  e\tend<(l  llood  pl.iin. 
formed  liy  the  i)a\'  and  the  ri\cr  .Svdenham,  tlu.'  |>rett\  lilth;  town  is  sitiiaU^il.  It  was 
orii^inally  lalled  Sydenham,  and  its  lounder  Welieved  thai  il  would  develop  into  the 
i^real  iiilripot  of  western  lommerce,  woidd  lietoine  in  iait  a  second  C"liicay[().  What 
a  niniilter  of  sttcond  Chicai^os  there  ha\(;  been  in  the  visions  of  |)lamu'rs  of  low  ii-jilots 
and  real-estate  auctioneers  I  IncK-ed,  so  convinced  were  the  people  in  1S50  that  rail- 
wa\s  -if  l)iiilt  at  all  would  ha\f  to  lonie  to  them  as  the  only  practicable  northent 
terminus,  that  lhe\  refused  to  i^rant  as'iistaiicc  lo  one  or  thi'  olhei  of  two  companies 
that  proposed  to  huild  Ironi  Toronto  to  the  ( ieori^ian  l>a\.  C Onsecpientlx ,  the  Northern 
Railway  Company  made  CollinLjwood  its  terminus,  and  the  other  Comjiany,  then  collapsing;, 
Sydenham  was  left  out  in  the  cold  with  all  its  amhitions  dashed  to  the  ground.  In 
1S50.  it  was  imorporaled  ;is  a  town,  under  th.e  name  of  ()w('n  .Sound,  and  its  pio^^ress 
has  been  so  continuous  that  it  is  now  in  the  front  rank  of  our  provincial  towns.  Wo 
L;('t  a  i_;ood  hird's-eye  \  iew  ot  it  from  llu:  ru^^cd  limestone  clitt  on  the  west.  The 
clilf  is  liroken  and  rent,  with  lichris  of  fallen  rocks  at  its  feet,  the  white  est  arpmeiit 
continued  liexond  ;  then,  the  loft\  spire  of  a  church,  with  a  coiuiniiation  to  the  south 
ot  ril)l)ondike  terr.ices,  ihe  lower  covered  with  trees.  In  the  hollow  is  the  town,  with 
its  church-spires  and  puMic  luiildin^s,  the  most  conspicuous  oi  which  is  the  lli'-;h 
St'hool,  the  l)us\'  h.irhour,  ,ind  the  ([uiel  waters  of  the  .Soimd.  The  medallion  shows  .1 
hit  ol  the  river  as  it  enters  the  town,  houses  on  the  left  hank,  and  the  Campanile: 
ot  the  I-"ire-IlnL;in(;  .Station.  "  (  )ff  ("ape  Kich"  tells  its  own  t.ile.  atui  one  li\  no 
means  intrecpienl  on  the  l.d<es,  a  propeller  encounlerini.^  a  stilf  hree/e  as  she  rounds 
the   cape   into   the  .Si  lund. 

The  next  illustration  is  taken  from  the  rear  of  the  shi|)-lniildin!L;  yard,  where  shi|)s 
.md  propellers  ol  larLjc  tonnage  are  liuilt.  .\  propeller  is  on  the  stocks;  another,  lully 
e(|ui|)ped,  is  drawin<^'  a  statel\-  ship  from  the  harhour  to  the  .Soinid.  Reyoml,  on  either 
side,  is  a  L,dimpse  of  the  lower  part  of  the  low  11  and  harbour,  with  elevator,  shipping;, 
and  then  th<'  \\v^\  clitfs  in  the  distance.  No  town  is  betti-r  supplied  with  summer 
travelliuL;  facilitii's  by  steamboats  than  Owen  Sound.  An  e.xct'lleiu  line  now  runs  to 
the  Lake  Superior  ports  in  connection  with  the  Toronto,  (irey  &  Bruce  Railway, 
and  the  boats  from  C'ollini^wood  make  regular  calls.  The  cili/ens  are  inanilestinL;'  a 
L;i"eat  deal  of  enterprise  in  this  direction,  and  manv  of  the  staunchest  steamers  on  the 
lakes  are  built  liv  ih<'  ( )wen  Sound  I' '-v -Dock  Company  in  tlnMr  sliip-vards  near  the 
mouth    of    the    Pottawatomie    River. 

Vox  many  years  Owen   Sound  labourfd  imder  the  dis.ulvantaj^e  of    want  of    railway 


1 86 


och'  /'/(- re h'/':s( )('/■: 


i%. 


n\vi;\    >MrMi    i.ookim;    vv    nil:    ii,\ki;(Uk 


fjuilitii's,    that     were     f-arly     .i,n'\('!i     to     its  / ■'"'i:.*j5. -, ,     ,    '        '.<y-'^< 

ri\al,    COllin^wood,     llioiii^h,    in     1S45,     it 
Ml. Itched    li'din    I  )iirhain    the   laiinldcal    ol 

tile  coimly  ti)\vii.  It  has  ako  thr  (h-auhark  of  having  a  very  shallow  harlxmr,  which 
ncccssitatt's  constant  and  cNinnsivc  ihcd^iny.  The  town  has  a  more  llian  line  (Hs|)la\- 
ol  |iiil)lic  Ixiihhn^s,  perhaps  the  inosi  ci-eihtaMe  ol  which  is  the  new  llii^h  School, 
en'cted  at  a  cost,  iiichidin^  L;roimds  and  e(piipi)ienl,  ol  oxer  twcnt\-ti\i'  thousand 
dolhirs.  I'here  are  also  two  other  coniniodious  and  handsome  liiiiidinL^s  lor  I'iii)lic 
Sihooi  recpiininenl.  I  he  town-haU,  lourt-house,  and  nian\  ol  ihi'  stores  and  pri\ate 
residences  ha\c  a  tastelnl  auA  phasing  appeaiance.  Characteristic  ol  the  place,  its 
joiirnalisin,  represented  l>\  the  I  niics,  .  1(I;(I//m  r,  and  /i/ii/ii/r.  is  stnrd\  and  proeres- 
si\c.  In  the  pri'-railw.i\  da\s,  its  hotels  and  st.iL;e-coach  liiU's  did  .1  tlourishiiiL;  busi- 
ness; ami  thon;^'h  thi'  j^lorx'  ol  "Coulson's"  has  soniewh.il  ileparted,  liolh  that  hostelry 
aiul   the   "<jueen's"  sat istacloriK    meet    all   demands   upon   them. 

it  we  \isit  Owen  Sound  ii\  drixiiiL;  Iroin  Southampton,  we  see  somethine-  n{  the 
character  of  the  inierxcninL:  idunir\.  The  land  L^i'adualh'  rises,  Iretpient  outcrops  of 
limestone  oicurrin;^,  and  alioiit  midua\  .icross  .ittams  its  L^reatesl  altitude,  the  streams 
on  the  one  side  llowinv^  to  the  east,  and  on  the  other  to  the  wc'st.  in  summer  the 
tields  are  luxuriant  with  ;^ood  croj>s,  .md  the  farms  have  ,in  aspect  of  thrilt  and 
prosperit\'.  The  forests  assume  a  slii^htK  northern  aspect,  and  deliL^ht  the  hotanist 
with    their    rich    undcr|_;row  th   of   mosses,    ferns,  and    llowfrin;4   shruhs,  amid   Ime   spetimeiis 


xoA'  riH'.RX  xiiiaiiiu  ">/< 


isr 


(»f  maple.  hiM'tli,  and  ash.  The  mad  for  a  part  of  iIk;  way  skirts  tlu:  Pottawatomie,  a 
small  lirawlim^  stream  thai  tumbles  o\-er  Joik.-s'  and  liuliaii  halls,  a  sheer  descent  of 
seventy  li-et.  into  d.irk  ravines  densely  clotheil  with  timi>er,  l^^fore  it  empties  into  the 
.Sound.  (  )n  desceiidini.;  from  the  heiuihts,  tiie  .Souiul  is  seen  in  the  distance,  extending; 
for  miles  away  out  to  the  (ieor^ian  Ha\,  and.  as  it  approaches  th<;  h.irbour.  L;radualiv 
narrowin;^  like  a  wedj^c 

A  visit  to  ( )wen  Sound  would  not  he  satisfaetorx'  without  a  dri\('  to  the  Inj^li.s 
I'^alls.  aloiiu,^  the  heautiful  road  ih.il  skirls  the  steep  h.mks  ol  the  .Syilenham.  The  wax- 
leads  fr.)m  the  principal  business  street  to  the  ("(nneterx  Mill,  to  lln'  lelt  of  which  is 
the  e.\ceedinL,dy  lo\cl\  \alle\.  We  pass  the  rock  which.  Ijoreii-like,  L;i\cs  forth  the 
water  that  supplies  the  town.  W  <■  ma\  explain  that.  nnd<'rl\in;^  the  \iaL;ar,i  limestones, 
a  peculiarly  stratilicHl  cla\'  is  fmmd.  which  extends  oxer  iIk-  whole  Huron  region,  (ailed 
b\  L;-eoloL;ists.  i'.rie  cla\'.  The  u])per  di\ision  of  this  deposit  is  well  exposed  on  the 
Saui^cen  River,  an<l  is  heme  called  .San^ceii  cl.ix',  the  banks  in  many  ]>lac(.'s  showing 
it  lor  a  di'pth  ol  twenl\-  or  lhirt\'  fec-t.  It  is  a  brown  calcareous  clay,  mixed  with  sand 
and  L;ra\cl,  and  is  ex- 
poseil  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Sound,  where  it 
is  hi<;hly  ft;rru^inous. 
The  I'j'ie  clay  proper, 
or  lower  ilivision.  is  a 
blue  marl  containini^' 
thirty  per  (.ent.  of  c.ir- 
bonal<'  of  lime.  It  is 
foimd  ■d)oul  tut-nly  feet 
under  the  surlace  de- 
posit in  (  )wen  Soinid. 
.ind  is  seen  in  some 
[ilaces  where  the  base 
(if  the  limestone  is  e\- 
])(ised.  With  a  lliior 
such  as  this,  im|)er\i(ius 
to  w.iter,  it  is  not  won- 
dcTJul  that  the  limestone 
dills    aboinid    with    ev(.'r- 

,,  ,        ,  INGI.IS     I  ALLS. 

How  UI14   sprm^s    ol    clear 

water.      I'.issinL;  tin;  rock, 

the    road    leads    thr(uiL;h    a    farm    of     exceptional    excellence,    especi.dl)'   in     so    rou^h    a 

district,   .ind    a    little    farther    on    \\v.    liiul    ourselves    "  amoiv^    tht-   mountains   near   (  )weri 


iSS 


oi  h'  i'n  n  Ri-'.sorh: 


Soiiml."  Ihc  view  is  wdl  woi'lli  a  l(in;^cr  (lri\<',  iiiil  I.nr.l  I)iirfrrin  rx.iLji^M'iMtcd 
iiii  inmr  ill. Ill  was  his  wunl  kmt  I'aiiailiait  scriics  ulun  he  iIim  lari'(|  it  one  ol  the 
most  HI  iL^niliti'iit  111-  hail  ever  w  iinc-sfil.  Ilcic  aiiil  thfi-c-  the  mail  nms  so  mar 
till'  |iir|)ciiiliiiilar  rucks  ih.ii  wi-  max  iniirh  ilinn  Inmi  mir  i  arriaL^i  .  (  iml,  clear 
strrams  issiir  Irmn  ihr  snliil  roik.  li'ickli'  arms^  iln-  ruail.  .niil  Iim|i  jii\liill\  ilnuii 
thr  stfcp  ili'siriit  into  thr  ili'll  liriiraili  tn  ioiii  iln'  S\'(|i  iiliaiii.  ( "hariiiiiiL;  u;lini|'si's 
III  llir  ri\rr  arc  ulilaiiinl  ihri)ii:^li  lln'  tms  Iruin  ihc  main  |>atli\\a\.  A  lillli-  tarihcr 
on  and  \\y  hrar  — csiinially  slinnM  il  hr  spring  or  antnnin  a  sonml  coinliiniil  ol 
hissiui^,  sccthiiiL;  ami  rd.irin:^,  thai  .innouncis  llir  halU,  ami  |iri>niisrs  sonuthinu;  unrlh 
scrin^;.  I  hr  illiistr.ilion  |iiisrnts  thrni  Ironi  thr  lust  jinint  ol  \ii'\\  ilu-  iicr|i  ra\inc 
anionic  thr  \inis  smm  si.\t\  fnt  hrlou.  Ilu  water  rsia|ies  Ironi  lutwrrn  two  mills. 
an  oltl  and  .1  mw,  .iml  tmnhlrs  ii\rr  thr  sh.n'ii.  slnUinL;  rot  ks  in  ,1  mass  ol  loam  ,tnd 
s)(ra\,  and  then,  with  thr  rc.isrliss  iioi-,r  ol  man\  waters,  ;4ur;^li's  o\rr  a  series  ol 
rapids  to  the  i|iiiet  re.irhes  larther  down.  (  )n  e.ich  side  the  IiIl^Ii  K.inks  are  clothed 
with  the  I'ii  h  \erdiire  ol  lichens,  mosse-,.  lerns,'  creepers.  ,nid  vines.  The  whole  seine 
is  \er\  lieautilul,  .iml  the  coin'teiuis  proprietor  one  o|  the  oriLdn.il  settlers  is  .dwa\s 
willing;  to  euide  visitors  to  the  points  Irom  which  the  i'.dls  m.i\  be  seen  to  the  West 
.nK.inlaL^e.  It  is  worth  while,  too,  to  reuirn  to  the  town  li\  the  w.i\  we  c.ime.  I  he 
rockv    ^or^c,    the    L^limpse-,    ol     the    river,    the    trees    on    its    h.mks.    .md    the    i^n.it    rocks 

towerin]4      holdlv       U|i      liV      the      wa\  .     L;ive      interrst      to      the      ro.ld      till      the      (.'enietelV      Hill     is 

reached.       Thei'e.    the    pfeitv    towii    in    the    v.dlev,    tile    sjneis    I'lachinL;     np    the    hill-sides, 

the    liav     dotted     with     steamers    ,nid      little      ple.isure      lioats,     the    '^re.ll      e\p,iiise    III'     W.lter    to 

the  noi-th.  the  Indian  I'eninsul.i  .md  the  opposite  shore,  condiim-  to  m.ike  up  one 
ol  the  most  eMendeil  and  varied  panor.nii.is  in  the  Province.  Such  hills  .md  d.ile-,  ;uid 
waters  had  irresistilile  attiMctions  for  the  Scotchmen,  who  were  ,imouL^  the  hrsi  settlers 
in  the  countv,  though  to  their  children  who  know  lli.it  a  "liush  larm  "  means  unre- 
mitting^ toil  for  a  lifetime,  the  open,  exposed  |iiaii"ie  far  tr.nisceiids  in  .itlractiveness 
all   the   i^lories  of    mount, lin   and    Ion  st. 

As  reLiards  lruil-L;row  in^-,  the  neiehhourhood  of  ()vven  Soimd  is  no  exception 
to  the  rest  of  the  splendid  Lake  Huron  territor\  which  we  h.ive  heen  disi  rihin^. 
Almost  every  kind  of  truit  succeeds  well,  ,niil  applet,  pe.n's,  plums,  and  straw  lurries 
mav  lie  said  to  attain  perfection,  .\  reliahle  witness  sl.ited  hefore  the  (  )ntario  AjL^ri- 
cultural  ("onimission  that  so  much  attention  is  now  heini.;'  u^iven  to  this  fruit  crop  tli;it. 
besides  the  supply  of  the  home  market,  Irom  three  to  four  thous.md  barrels  of  winter 
apples  hail  been  shipped  from  ( )wen  .Sound  alone  in  iSSi,  and  tli.it  pear  culture- 
which  is  be^innini;  to  attract  more  attention  could  be  carried  on  ipiite  as  prolit.ibly. 
Till'  plums  of  the  district  are  so  ri'inarkablv  tine  th.il  thousands  of  trees  are  beint;- 
planted,  and  tens  of  thousands  of  bushels  arc  already  shipp(;d  anniiail)-,  diielly  lor 
the    Chicago    market. 


.\V)A' /■///:•  AW    .\/:'A;///.V'A' 


I  So 


AMii.'.i.      llll       Ml  il  ;.  I  ,\I.S.-i     M  AU     wAI.N      ->i)lM). 


To  ;i  ;^n'at  cNtint.  it  would  he  only  tcIIiiiL;'  tli(>  same  ^tor\-  oxer  ,iL;ain  were  \vc  to 
il('sci-il)c  the  nilicr  iduiis  in  (irc\-.  Al  ilir  o|i|)(isitc  r\trcniil\  oi  tlu'  couiUn  Irinn 
(  )\vi-n  SinMiil  i-^  Mount  Idicsi,  |)l(asantl\  sitnalc<l  on  the  ino-^t  sonth<rl\-  Iiraiuh  of 
ihr  Saiii;<'i'n.  The  lir-^l  snr\cyor  mistook  the  ^trcani  lor  a  liranch  of  llic  Maitland, 
.in.l  the  |il.i(i'  aicorilin^K  was  t'ii-st  callrd  "M.iilland  Hills"  or  "  M.iill.ind  WOods." 
Will  II  ihf  veil  stall'  o|  the  laso  was  known,  llir  |ii-cscnl  name  was  lornird  1>\  kiiiiiiiL; 
what  was  tnir  awA  dioppinL;  what  was  ina(riiral<'  in  Imth  ot  ihr  old  nann's.  A  walk 
or  short  dri\i'  ii\  Ua'^i'  Ironi  ()\\rn  Sound  takrs  us  to  Mcafoi'd,  also  on  the  hav. 
ihi'  drixc,  SOUK'  ci^dilrfn  niilcs  in  length,  is  a  sin-^ularlv  pic  turi'si|U<'  one.  1  he  road 
runs  thioii^h  th'-  towiishi|is  oi  S\d<nhani  and  St.  \  incciil.  whi(  h  project  far  lakoward, 
and  di\idi'  \otiaw.is,i,;,i  |)a\'  iVoni  the  waters  of  the  Sound.  On  the  route  the  tourist 
will  lie  struck  with  the  w.inlonness  in  which  .Nature  revels.  Stupendous  upriL^ht  masses 
of    roi  k    poise  themscUcs   in   di/./y   proximit)    to    tlu;    ro.ulway,   while     innunierai)le    paths 


I  go 


OUR  PICTURESQUE 


wander  off  on   botli  sides  into  cool  dcptlis  of  forest  or  i^doomy  clefts,   friiifjed   with  ever 
fresh  adornings.       Both   townships    were    surveyed    in    1853,   and    the    first    settler  in    St. 

Vincent  was  the  surveyor,  Mr.  Charles  Rankin,  to 
whom  and  to  Mr.  George  Jackson,  the  locality  is  in- 
debtetl  for  important  services.  For  many  years  it 
was  hotly  contested  b)'  the  people  where  the  site  of 
Meaford  should  be.  Finally  the  dispute  settled  itself, 
and  the  embryo  village  has  now  l)ecome  a  fair-sized 
town.  It  is  prettily  situated  on  the  Big  Head  River, 
with  a  gentle  slope  towards  the  shores  of  the  bay, 
where  a  harbour  is  formed  by  the  united  watt-rs  of 
the  bay  and  river,  tlanketl  by  a  far  projecting  wharf. 
Commerce  is  represented  l)y  a  number  of  grist,  saw, 
and   woollen    mills,  a    foundry  and   machine  shop. 

Hut,   let   it   never    be    forgotten   that  all    that    is    dis- 
tinctive and    noteworth)-    in    Crey,   as  in    most    of    the 
counties  of  Canada,   is  to    be  found   not    in   its    towns, 
not    at    railwa)"    stations,  but  in    the    townships,    .along 
the  gravel   roads  and   the  concession  lines.      There 
we  meet   the    men    and    women    who    endured    the 
rough    welcome    of  the    Genius  of  the    wilderness  ; 
the  men  and  women  to  whom  we  owe  the;  smiling 
fields    and    orchards,    and   all    the    promise    of    the 
future.       A  good  objective  point    for  an-  expe- 
dition    into     the     interior    of     the    country     is 
that   most    picturesque   cataract    known    as    the 
"  Eugenia    Palls,"    and    tlience    up    the    lieax cr 
River,    a    valley  that     is    saiil     to     j)ossess    the 
finest     climate,   and    to    be    without    e.\ce|)lion 
the     finest    [leach-growing    district    in    Canada. 
Our    illustration    of     the    "  Fugi'uia     balls,"    in 
the    neighi)()urhood    of    I'leslK'rton,   gives    their 
characteristic    featur(!s    faithfidly,  ami    it    is  un- 
necessary to    repeat   in   words   what    the    pencil 
presents  so  truthfulh'. 

Grey    was     fortunate     in     its    first    settlers. 

Two     of    the    townships     first    surveyed     were 

set    apart    to    be    diviiled     up    into    grants    to 

wooo  VIOLETS,  AND  KiUNGKi)  cii.NTiAN  retired    British    officers,    and     to    the    children 


.\(;a^  rnERN  neic.iibor 


iqi 


of  United  Empire  Loyalists  who  had  not  In^en  supplied  with  lands  previously.  Both 
classes  were  extremly  desirable  immi,<;rants ;  the  first  brinj^int^  with  them  money, 
intellij^ence  and  refinement,  and  the  second  havini:,^  what  was  of  even  more  immediate 
value,  knowledij^e  of  colonial  life,  especially  of  life  in  the  bush.  But  the  j^^reat 
body  of  the  immigrants  were  of  the  rank  and  file  of  the  British  Islands  ;  and  they 
brought  little  with  them  but  hearts  of  oak.  Those  who  hatl  come  to  Canada  because 
the  sinMi  voice  of  emiL^ration  agents  had  assured  thcMii  that  "  the  same;  tree  yielded 
sugar,  soap,  and  firewood,"  and  that  all  the  work  tliey  re(|uired  to  do  was  but  "  the 
pastime  of  a  drowsy  summer  clax,"  were  specdih'  undeceived.  I'lven  those  who  had 
landed  with  money  in  their  purse  had  a  hard  time  ot  it,  fighting  lone!)-  battles  against 
a  thousand  unforesetMi  difficulties,  surrounded  by  the  most  uncongt^nial  environmcMit.  Mow 
those  who  had  struggled 
to  their  destination  on 
scant)'  funds  lived  for 
the  first  jears,  it  is  dif- 
licult  to  understand. 
They  made  no  com- 
plaint, held  out  no  hat 
for  alms,  but  plantetl 
their  potatoes  among 
the  stumps  in  summer, 
clearetl  oti  the  tlcep 
snow,  and  gatheretl  cow- 
cabbage  for  their  food 
in  winter,  when  they 
had  nothing  better  in 
the  house,  and  in  the 
darkest  da\s  trusted 
that  th(t  (^lod  of  their 
fathers  would  not  desert 
tliem.  The  poet  or  his- 
torian of  this  "prime\al 
and  barbaric  but  heroic 
era"  has  not  yet  ap- 
peared.    One    AnuM-ican 

has  written  the  history  of  Canada  in  the  Seventeenth  Century.  Must  we  wait  till 
another  comes  into  our  backwoods  and  writes  for  us  the  true  story  of  our  Niiu'teenth 
Centurv?  The  actors  are  passing  off  the  stage,  and  their  memories  are  already  fading 
from   the  minds    of    mc;n.       I'ity  that  it  should  be  so  before  their  records    are    gathered 


EUGENIA     EALI.S,     AND     A     GLlMl'SI^     UF 
Oi:OK(ilAN     HAY. 


(' 


<.' 


ig2  OUR  picrrRESO'  .■■ 

to-clher;  for  their  achicvcmcMUs.  rather  than  the  campai,!^m  of  1812-15,  or  skirmishes 
M-illi  "  Syiniiallii/ers"  or  I'enians,  arc  the  foundation  of  our  country.  What  an;  th 
discomforts  of  the  camp  f(^r  a  year  or  two.  compared  to  Hfed)atiles.  that  the  wives  and 
cliiUh-en  had  to  share,  with  ^U)omy  forest  and  (hsmal  swamp,  with  troi)ical  lieat  at  one 
season,  ami  at  anothin-  with  cold  that  would  freeze  the  breatl  ami  the  potatoes  hesiile 
the  ver\-  hre-side  ?  In  one  senst:,  immii^rants  of  the  hetltM"  class  sutlered  most  keenly. 
Their  tastes  were  their  torments.  .\t  lirst  they  strui^i^leil  hard  to  keep  some  of  iht- 
old  forms  and  courtc^sies  of  life;  hut  soon  the  stru.i^-.^le  for  the  hare  ni'cessaries 
absorbed  all  their  streni^th.  Some  of  the  others  indeetl  suffered  all  that  poor  human 
natm-e  could   suffer.       The)'  starved,   and   that    was   the  end  of   it. 

This  geiu'ratioii  ne'er  e.in    know 
The  toils  we   had   l!)  underj^^o, 
While  layinj;  the  <,n-uat  forests   low. 

So  sin>;s,  with  direct  anil  pathetic  simplicity  of  style,  that  true  Canadian  poet 
Alexander  McLachlan,  speaking;-  what  he  knows,  and  testifyin<j^  of  what  he  has  seen.  Th 
poet's  eye  discerns  the  hero.  "  Canada,"  he  says,  "  is  prolific  in  heroes  of  its  own  ; 
men  who  venture  into  the  wilderiiess,  perhaps,  with  little  save  an  a.xe  and  a  determined 
will,  and  hew  their  way  to  independence.  Almost  every  locality  can  point  to  some 
hero  of  this  kind,  who  overcame  difficulties  and  dangers  with  a  determination  which, 
in  a  wider  sphere,  wouKl  have  commaneled  the  admiration  of  the  world.  hnergetic, 
inventive,  sleepless  souls,  who  fought  with  wihl  nature,  cleared  seed-fields  in  the 
foix^st,  Ijuilt  mills,  schools  and  chm-ches  where,  but  a  few  years  before,  naught  was 
heard  save  the  howl  of  the  wolf  antl  the  whoop  of  the  Indian.  Who  gathered,  per- 
haps, a  little  commmiity  of  hardy  pioneers  around  them,  and  to  which  th(!\-  were 
carpenter,  blacksmith,  ami  architect,  miller,  doctor.  lawN'er  and  judge,  all  in  one." 
.Stich  a   man   he   describes  with   enthusiasm  as   "a  backwooil's   hero." 

"  He  chopped,   he  logt;;ed,   he   cleared   his    lot, 
And  nU(j  ni.any  a  dismal    s|)ol 

lie  let   the   li,i;hl  of   ilay  ;  , 

And  ihroin^h  the  lon,L(  and  dismal  swamp, 
So  dark,  so  drearv  and   so  damp, 
He   made   a   imaipike  w.ay. 
The   church,   liu;   schoolhouse   and    the   mill. 
The  stiire,   the   I'orjre,    the  v,it,   the    kiln, 
Weie  iriumphs  ol   his  hand  ; 
And  many  a   lovely   spot  of  i^Teen, 
Wliich   pee|)s  out  there  the   woods   between. 
Came  lorih  at  liis  command. 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR  193 

What  was  it  that  he  would   not  lace  ? 

He   hriflgfd   the  stix-aiii,   he  cut  the   race, 

Led   water  to  the   mill  : 

And  planned  and  |)lotted  night  and  day, 

Till  every  obstacle  gave   way 

To  his   uncon(|uered   will. 

And   he   was  always   at  our  call, 
Was  doctor,   lawyer,  judge  and  all  ; 
And  all   throughout  the  Section, 
O,   there  was  nothing  coidd   be  done — 
No  field  from  out  the  forest  won. 
Save  untler  his  direction." 


Wherever  there  are  men   of   a  uood    stock  there  are  sure  to    be  headers  of  men.       And 
the   backwoods  hfe    was  not    one  of  hardships    unredeemed    Ijy   visions  of    beauty  or  in- 
tervals   of    rest    or    fun.       I-ach    season    brou,L;ht    its    own    (|iiota  of    pleasure.       To  the 
loo-trino-    ''bee"    the    neighbours    came    from    far    and    near,   every  man    of    them    as    in- 
dependent   as    a    kino;    on    his    throne    for    he   owned    his    own    acres,   and  had    chopped 
his    own    homestead;     and    after    the    hard    day's   work    and    contests,    sonus    and    .lances 
followed   till   tilt;    rude    rafters    ran^-    a.i^ain.       The    uiHs    gathered   the    spring  jjuds    from 
the    trees    and    the    sweet    violets   from     the    grassy    dells,   and     twined     their    hair    with 
woodbine;     but    th(;y    milked    the    cows    and    cooked    and    washed,   and    worktxl     in    tlu; 
fields    at    h.uing    and    harvest,    and     hitched     the    horses,    and     rode     them,     too,    when 
occasion     recpiired,     none     the     less.        And     the     )oung     men     not     only     chopped     and 
ploughed,    but   had   fights   with   bears  and   wolves,    or  planned   new   kin.ls    of  water-wheels 
and   rude  gun-stocks  and    fiddles,   and   everything    else    that   they   or    the  women   needed. 
Autumn   showered   its  gold  and   purple  over    the   woods,   and    the    backwoodsmen   reaped 
from    a    virgin    soil    more    generous  fare    by  far  than   the    bleak    moors    of    the    western 
Highlands  had  ever  yielded.      In   winter,   by  the   light  of  the  great  back-logs   roaring  up 
the  wide  chimney,   the    lads    and    lasses    did    their    courting.       And   though    it    took    ten 
days  to    drive    the    o.x-team    sixty  miles  to    Harrie   for    a    barrel   of  salt,    or   still    longer 
to  take  the  grist  to  Toronto,   what  rare    budgets   of    news  were    carried   back    from    the 
outside    world!       Each    year    brought    new    improvements,   and    things    looked    brighter. 
The  shanty  and   the  log-b)Te  gave    way  to  the    framed  house   well    painted  outside    and 
well  plastered  within,   with  big  barns  hard  by;     the  almost  furniture-less  cabin    to    com- 
fortable rooms   supplied    with    a    sewing-machine    and    melodeon  ;    or,    perhaps,   a    piano, 
and  a  volume  of   Pu  turesouk  C.vn.vda  ;    the  oxen   to  a    team  of   Clydesdales  and  a  fast 
trotter;    and  the  homespun   to  broad-cloth.       And  then,   gazing  around  on   the    changed 
scene,   the    old    man    and    the    old  woman    would    declare    that  their    happiest    days    had 
been  spent  in   the   log  cabin,   whose    walls  are   mouldering  not  far  from    the  new    house 


194 


0[  7v'   P/CTl  'AVtSOf  7: 


to   which   their  son   has  l.roiinht    his    l.ridc       All    honour    to    tlu'    pioncrrs  !       May  their 
children   never  for-et  their   memories,   nor  eease   to   imitate  tlieii    virtues! 


"  Look  u|)  ;   their  walls  cncliise  us.     \.nuk  around  ; 

Wlio  won  tlu;  \p|-(lanl  nicailows  Ironi  llii-  sr.i  .' 
Whose  sturdy  liands  the  nohU'  highways  wouu'l 

Throili;!!  Ibrt'Sls  dense,  o'er  mountain,  moor,  and   lea  ? 
Wlio  spanned  the  streams  ?    Tell  me  whose  worl<s  they  i)e.- 

The  busy  marts,  wheie  conimeice  ebhr,  and    Itows  ? 
Who  (|uelled  the  sava-e  ?      And  who  spare.l  tlu-  tree 

That  iile.isant  shelter  o'er  tlie  palnway  l';;o\vs  ? 
Wlio  made  the  Ian. I  they  loved  to  blossom  as  t  'C  rose  ?" 


.V()A'77//:A\\'   .\/il(:illH)K 


195 


The   North-west: 


MANITOBA. 


on      far,      we     liaxc      hccn      dcalini;      with      a 

^^      C  aiiada    known    to   men    from    tlu^    (la\s    of 

Clianiplain.       WC     now     conic     to    New    Canada. 

l\('<;ions,     lono'    su|)i)os('d    to    he     under    tlic    lock 

and    Vv\    of    eternal    frost     and   snow,    or  at    best 

lit  home  onK*    for  buffalo  ami    beaxer,   mink   and   marten, 

art!    beint;'  revealed    as  boumlless    prairies  antl    plains,    of 

exhaiistless    fertility,    ready    for    the     plou<rh.       In     1812, 

Lord    .Selkirk,   a    patriot    who    lived     half    a     centur_\    too 

soon,   declared    that    the   \allev   of    the    Red    River  of    tile 

North  would   yet  maintain  a  population  of   thirt\-  millions. 

.Anil    beyond    that    \alle\-  stretches    awav    to    the    north-west    a 

i)r(.'adth  of  fi'rtilt;  land,   in   the  shape  of    an   immense  trapezoid, 


u,6  OUR    riCri'RliSQL'E 

\vhos('  apex  is  hmimlfd  hy  the  (.listant  Mackenzie,  that  ptjssesses  all  the  coiulitioiis 
necessary  to  rear  a  healthy  antl  hardy  race.  X<nv.  at  lenj;th,  the  eyes  of  millions  in 
okl  and  new  lands  are  heinL;-  turned  to  this  Creater  Canada.  A  movement  or  swarm- 
ino  of  men  is  settini;-  in,  similar  to  those  migrations  of  nations  that  in  former  limes 
deterniintnl   the   history   of  the   world.      Already 

"We   he. II-  tlic  uc;iil  of  piniu'irs  nl   n.uion^  yi'i   l<>  i>c, 
Tlu-   rii-.!   low   w.ihh   ol   \\a\es  where  soim  sh.ill  roll  ;i  human  sea." 

Before  lon.i,^,  Winnipe.L;  will  he  more  populous  than  Ottawa,  or,  its  eili/ens 
\\K)\\V\  say,  than  Tcji-onlo  ;  the  .Saskatchewan,  a  more  important  lactor  in  Cana- 
tlian  development  than  the  .St.  Lawrence;  and  the  route  from  Hudson's  15ay 
to     Lixerjiool     perhajjs     as     wi'U     estal)lishei.l    as    the    beaten     patli     from     Montreal     and 

Uuebec. 

Let  us  pay    a  tribute    to   the    first   white   man     who    tra\-elleil   ami    tratlinl    alonj;   tlu; 
\\'inni1.e^,    Ki'd,   AssiiU'boinc   and    Saskatchewan  l\i\i'rs.   ,  Here  aj;ain,  a    b'renchman   leads 
the   roll  of  ihosi-  whose   portraits  Lanadian^  shouKl    han^'  up  in  their  National  C.allery,  and 
honour   from   a!.;e   to   aL;c.       Pierre   (iaultier   dc    X'arenne,  .Sieur  de   la    \erendi-\c.    deserves 
as  prominent   a   place   in   connection    with    tlu-    Xorlh-west  as  Champlain    occupies    in   the 
annals  of    Lower    Canada.      C.idet   of    a   noble     b'rcnch     famib',   tlu-     ciuhantnu-nts  of    an 
unexplored   coiuint-nt   allun-d    him    to   tlu-    X(-w    World.      In    i  7.:S,    while   in    command   ot    a 
trading-post    at    Lakt-     Xi-pi^'on.    he   luanl     from     Indians  of    a   ri\(-r    that    llow(-d   to    ilu; 
Wr-.t.       The     sanu:     vision    that    had   tku/.h-il   and    inspir(-d    tin-   si.\te(-nth   and     s(-\ cntc-t-nth 
century    c-xplorers  -la\    aiul    ch-rical      of   a    passant-    b\'   the    interior   to   the    Craiiii  Oicau, 
and    tlu;nc(-   to   the   wonders   of   Cathay,    eiiterc-d    into   tlu-   stud\-   of     his     imagination.      .M. 
de    l)(-auharnois,   who,     from    thc^    castle  of    St.     Louis  ruli-d    over    Xew    I'ranci-,    L;a\e   him 
\-erbal     encourai;enu-nt    and     c-xchisive    ri-hts    to    the     fur    trade    ot     whatsoever     regions 
he  should  discover.      L)Ut    neither  the   Ciovernor  nor  tht;    King'  of    b'rance   IkuI  any   moiu-)' 
to  spare    for   the    enterprise    of    opining;    up   the   country   west    ot    Laki:    Su|)erior.        1  he 
labour     and   the  e.\i)ense   fell   on   the   man    who  luul   concei\eil   the   project,   aiul    who  was 
detc-rmined   to   carry    it   out,     because    it  wouKl    redound     to   the  glory    ot     I'"rance.       ()nl\- 
they  who    know   by   expi-rience   something  of   what    is  involved   in    disco\ering    new  coun- 
tries can   (estimate     aright    his  danger    and     success.      'Idu-    men    who    made   their  way  to 
"the  great  lone  land"    cpiarter  of    a  century    ago    can    form    some    idea    of    what    he  ac- 
complished.     Starting    either    fnjm     Nepigon    or    Thunder    Bay,    we    sov..i    come    to   the 
height  of    land     that    divid(-s    the   Lake    .Superior     tributaries    from    the    streams    running 
north  anti   we.st.      Here,  a  wilderness  of  interlaced    lakes  or    rather  huge   tarns,    in   granite 
basins,   fringed  with  forest,   dividcjs    tlu-    countr\-  with   primitive   rock  aiul  almost  bottom- 
less muskegs.      Over  this  vast  region   silence;  and  desolation   reign  supreme.      A  semi-arctic 


A'OR ruF.RX  xr.ir.iinoR 


197 


winter  cliiv^s  to  it  for  s(!\(;n  inoiuhs  of  tiic   year,      C'anociiii^  westward  for  hundreds  of  miles 

1)\'  means  of  one  of  the  strini^'s  of  lakeh-ls  and  lacus- 
~v  •;  trine  ri\'ers,  that  extend   vast  distances  to  the  west, 

carr\iiin'    their  supplies    across    innumerable    inter- 
vening  iiorlayt's,    \Crendr\c    and    his  sons   reached 


lAI.I.S  Ol-    1  111.  W  INMl'Kt; 


Raiin  Rixiir  and  tli<'  Lake  of  the  Woods. 
This  beautiful  lake  which  has  been  tlu; 
startin|^''-point  for  a  i)ouiular\  line  in  e\ery 
tre;ity  that  has  ever  been  made  between 
(ireat    l^ritain   and   the  I'nitetl    States      has    on   one  side  a   thousand    mih^s  of  dark   forest, 


198 


i)(  h'  nici I  Riisori- 


forbiiKlini^'  imiskcM  .ind  I  .aiirciitiaii  rocks,  and  nii  the  dthcr  side  a  thoiisaiul  mile,  of 
fertile  ailiuial.  XCrcndrNc  liiiilt  forts  on  its  shores  and  islets,  and  made  tlie'^e  liie  liase  lor 
his  ioiirne\s  to  the  honndless  plains  that  lie  between  tiie  rpinr  Missouri  and  the  Xoiah 
Saskalidiewan.  I  lis  foni-  sons  .ind  nephew  went  at  his  hiddin:,;  in  e\cr\  dii-eclion,  estah- 
lishin'4  a  L;reat  fur-tratlinL;  orL^aiii/ation  o\cr  the  whole  ol  the  North-wcsi,  in  order  thereli)- 
to  L^ain  the  nutans  of  prosemlinL^  discoxcry  still  tarther.  "lie  mai'ched  and  made  iis 
niarrh,"  the\'  said,  "in  siK:h  a  \\a\  that  we  should  ha\'e  reai  hed  our  i^oal,  \vhei-e\ci'  it 
mii,;ht  lie  found,  had  we  heen  better  aided."  I  lie\'  penetrated  in  one  direction  to  the 
S.iskatchewan  and  the  .Athabasca,  and  in  another  to  the  .Missouri  and  the  \ellouslone, 
beiiiL;'  the  first  to  disco\cr  the  countr)'  that  Lewis  and  I  lark,  in  the  be^inninu;  oi  llu; 
nineteenth  centnr\',  with  a  numerous  troop  in  the  pa_\'  of -the  I'niled  States  (io\ern- 
ment,  became  ceU'brated  for  re-disco\(;rin!4.  .So  lai^  west  did  the\  lorce  their  \\a\  that 
the\  saw  at  last,  in  the  far  distance,  the  loni;  siKcr-tippeil  ran^c  ol  the  l\ock_\-  Moun- 
tains, from  the  tops  of  which  the\-  were  sure  that  the  western  sea  could  be  beheld. 
iSut.  just  as  ihe\'  congratulated  theniseht's  that  success  was  within  their  ,L;ras[),  their 
tickU'  Indian  allies,  dreadiii:^'  an  attacd^  Irom  other  tribes,  torced  them  to  turn  baik. 
Troubles  accumulated  on  the  head  of  the  j^allant  biXMichman.  ( )n('  son,  a  Jesuit  [iriesl 
his  companion,  ami  a  partx'  of  twenty-one  men,  were  massacred  by  the  .Siou.x  on  an 
island  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods.  .\t  the  same  time,  he  heard  of  the  death  of  his 
nephew,  who  had  been  his  ri^ht  hand  from  the  beninniiiu;  ol  the  enterprise.  Why 
recount  his  ilisappointnients  ?  \ Creiidrye  ch\'d  eleven  \-ears  belore  New  J  nice  was 
ceded  to  (ireat  [Britain.  W'lu-n  kin^s,  intendaiUs  or  ministt:rs  ne_L;lect  heroes,  their  own 
cMid    is   not   far  oil. 

1  he  Lake  of  the  W  oods  has  bet-n  lon^;'  tamed  for  its  beaut\'.  I'l.xcept  towartls  the 
south-west,  wh(;re  a  w  iiUt  "traverse"  ol  open  water  makes  the  Iiulian  scan  the  skv 
belore  h'-  \entures  out  in  his  canoe,  it  is  so  tilKxl  with  islands  that  to  the  toui'ist  it 
ap[)ears  a  wondrousl\-  Ixiautilul  ri\'er  rather  than  a  lake.  Lanil  and  lorest  are  near  and 
round  him  all  the  time.  In  some  places  Ih'es,  thou^htlcssb-  left  burninL;  at  camps,  ha\c; 
swept  o\er  the  islets,  revealiiii^  the  L^neissoid  rocks  unpromising-  to  the  luisbanilman — 
of  which  they  are  composed.  Hut  iMiou^h  an;  lelt  in  all  their  \ar;ed  beauty  ol  lorm  and 
colour  to  make  a  sail  Irom  Rainy  Ki\-er  down  to  Rat  Rorta^^c  as  charmiiii,;-  as  a  sail  amon^; 
"the  Ihousand  Islands"  of  tiie  .St.  Lawrence.  (didin^  oxer  the  unrullled  wati-rs,  th(;  e\c 
i|^(?ts  fairly  cloyed  with  picture  alter  pictun;  of  a  somewhat  monotonous  t\  pe  ol  s\l\an 
beaut)-.  At  Rat  I'orta^'e,  the  Rix'er  \\'inni|jeL;-  issues  froi-ii  the  lake  in  tw-o  dixisions. 
1  he  railwa\-  Irom  Lake  .Sujjerior  to  Manitoba  crosses  the  rixer  here,  brid^inii^  each 
division  just  abo\c  the  balls.  The  traveller  who  has  taken  the  train  at  Thunder  Ray 
now  ,^ets  a  L;limpse  ot  the  beautiful,  after  huntlreds  of  n-iiles  of  unutterable  dreariness. 
He  is  near  the  dixidiiiL^-line  of  ihe  Laurentian  and  tlu;  alluvial  regions  ;  ai-nl  before 
lie    bids     farewell    to    the     Laurentides    the)-    burst    into    scenes    of    rare    picturesqueness. 


.V( )A'  ////■: A'.V   A7-:/(,7//>'(  Vv' 


i«.;9 


200 


(^^A'  Plcn'RliS(ji:E 


At  the  eastern  fall,  the  river,  compressed  between  heaiitifully-stainecl  jrranite  rocks^ 
rushes  impetuously  into  a  hoilin*,'  caldron,  at  the  side  of  which  is  a  (piiei  eildy 
where  an  Indian  is  generally  found  with  a  hand  net,  scoopinjx  up  majj^nilicent 
white-tish  almost  as  easily  as  a  housewife  takes  th(  in  out  of  a  barrel.  The  western 
fall  is  a  lon^  broad  rapid  with  a  drop  of  four  or  tivi;  feet  at  one  point.  These 
falls  an;  only  the  first  of  an  almost  interminable  series  of  rapids  and  cataracts 
down  which  the  river  leaps  over  primeval  rocks,  on  its  way  to  the  j^reat  Lake 
\Vinni|)eL;,  running-  between  these  rapids,  in  Ioul,''  stretches  and  windini^^s,  amonir 
j^reeii  islets  of  inconceivable  loveliness.  A  canoe  trip  with  Indiaiis  from  Rat  I'ortajj^e 
down  to  L.ike  \\'inni[jeij^,  or  a  steamboat  excursion  in  the  opposite  dirc:ction  ii|)  the 
lake  to  I'Ort  brancis  on  Rainy  River,  oiij^ht  to  content  grumblers  otherwise  incuraiile. 
Rat  I'ortas^'e,  in  sp'a;  of  its  unpromising  name,  has  a  future  more  certain  tlian  nujst 
of  the  ambitious  places  in  the  North-west  styled  cities,  on  the  strens^^th  of  a  railway 
station  or  a  blacksmith's  shop.  It  is  the  nearest  summer  resort  for  the  W'innipt-gjj^ers, 
and,  as  the  water  power  is  practically  iiu;.\haustible,  it  may  also  become  a  j^M-eat 
lumber  and  millini,^  centre.  Men  of  faith  speak  of  it  as  th(.'  Canadian  Minneapolis, 
just  as  half  a  dozen  villages  in  Ontario  are  styled  Canadian  HirminLjhams.  Lartje 
handsome  saw-mills  and  o^rist-mills  are  already  built  at  the  best  points  of  vanta<i^e 
between  Rat  Portage  and  Lake  Decei^tion.  This  lake  seems  at  first  si!:,dit  only  one  of 
the  innumercd)le  small  laki:s  of  the  rather  savage  rejj^ion  in  which  they  are  set  ;  but 
when  the  euL^ineers  who  navi<^aL(.^d  its  waters  in  search  of  a  line  for  the  railway 
thouo;ht  that  the  end  was  reached,  a^ain  and  ai;ain  new  vistas  opened  out,  and 
they  calked  it  Deception.  Cross  Lake  has  also  a  history  in  railway  annals.  The  con- 
tractors who  had  to  take  the  track  across  it  found  that  the\-  had  undertaken  a  task 
like  that  of  the  Danaides.  The  earth  and  rock  laboriousl)'  ilum[)ed  in  perpetually  slid 
away  from  the  bottom  and  spread  out  farther  and  farther  until  acres  of  solid  >rround 
were!  formed  on  e.ich  side  of  th<'  bank.  It  was  heart-breaking  work,  and  contractor- 
breaking  too,  but  the  people  who  now  glide  smoothly  over  the  road  think  little  of  all 
that,  and  thi;  words  "  s(.;ction  fifteen  "  once  in  ever\'  newspaper,  and  the;  terror  of  en- 
gineers and  goxernments,  have  already  fallen  completeh-  out  of  men's  minds.  The 
whole  of  this  region  should  be  seen  b)-  moonlight.  It  is  too  ruth;  and  desolate,'  tor  the 
full  light  of  the  sun  ;  but  the  play  of  the  moon  on  multitudinous  lakes,  twisted  rock 
and  low   primeval    hills,   results  in   pictures  and   ])anoramic  views  of  singular  weirdness. 

Between  Cross  Lake  and  W'hitemouth  River,  the  railway  leaves  the  Laurentides, 
and  strikes  through  swamp  till  it  reaclu^s  the  high  open  prairie.  Now  we  are  on  the 
verge  of  the  great  sea  of  green  that  rolls  its  grassy  billows  all  the  way  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  Nowhere  in  the  world  is  t'-  re  such  a  breadth  of  fertile  land  untenanted. 
At  some  seasons  of  the  year  it  does  not  look  particularly  inviting,  but  no  matter 
what    the  month,   the  first  sight  of  the    prairie  makes    an    impression    as  profound  as  the 


NORTirERN  NEIGHBOR  2o\ 

first  sight  of  the  ocean.  I'^ach  season  lias  its  distinctive  livery.  \\  hen  th(  warm  suns 
of  March  and  early  April  ha\c  licked  u|)  the  snow,  the  dead  ^^rasses  of  the  old  \-ear 
look  bleached  and  tlatlened  out  l)\-  the  storms  of  winter  and  the  rain.  If  tires  had 
swept  over  the  L;round  in  the  autumn,  an  luiiform  rusty  hrown  is  seen  in  the  spring, 
far  as  the  eye  can  reacii.  The  prairie  then  looks  to  a  farmer  like  a  vast  Held.  The' 
only  idea  suggested  is  that  of  immensity.  At  this  season,  where  the  soil  is  high  and 
light,  or  where  sandy  ridges  occur,  the  aiiciiioitc  patciiSy  the  first  llower  of  the  prairies, 
shows  to  the  bright  sun  its  pale-  blue,  inclining  sometimes  to  delicate  white  and  some- 
times to  rich  purple.  The  joy  with  which  this  harbinger  of  spring  is  w^elcomed  by 
those  who  ha\e  seen  no  signs  of  life  in  garilen  or  field  for  six  long  months  can  hardly 
be  e.\agg(M"ated.  Like  the  .Ma\  llower  of  the  Maritime  Provinces,  it  "blooms  aniitl  the 
snows."  It  llowers  before  its  own  lea\es  appear  to  li\-e.  The  old  dead  leaves  surround 
the  new  llower,  and  so  the  most  beautiful  life  is  seen  to  rise  out  of  death.  1 1  is  at 
once  the  tlrstfruits  and  tlu;  lit  emblem  of  spring.  And  now,  a  tender  green  Ix'gins  to 
flush  the  boundless  open.  .As  spring  advances,  the  grasses  and  plants  gather  strength. 
The  prairie  becomes  a  sea  of  green,  iK'cked  with  parli-coloured  grasses,  and  an  inlmite 
variety  of  llowering  plants.  The  billow)-  motion  of  the  taller  species  as  the)'  bend 
and  nod  before  the  bree/e  is  the  p(jetr)-  of  motion  on  a  scale  so  vast  that  the  mind  is 
filled  with  a  sense  of  the  sublime  as  well  as  satisfied  with  the  perfect  beaut)'  aiid 
harmony  that  e.xtends  on  all  sitles  to  the-  hori/on.  The  atmosphere,  balm)-  and  tlower- 
scented,  is  also  so  charged  with  eU^ctricity  that  the  blood  courstjs  through  the  veins 
imder  the  perpetual  inlhuMice  of  a  stimulant  that  I)rings  no  lassitude  in  its  train. 
Summer  comes  crowded — or  rather  covered— with  roses.  The  traveller  across  the 
prairies  walks  on  roses  and  sleeps  on  roses.  Hy  the  end  of  June  the  air  is  loaded 
with  their  |)erfume.  These  are  followed  by  an  innumerable  variety  of  asters,  soli- 
dagos,  and  the  golden  corio|)sis.  Hut  the  ripe  glories  of  the  year  are  reserved 
for  the  season  when  summc'r  merges  into  autumn.  The  tints  of  the  woods  in  the 
older  provinces  are  left  far  behiiul  b)-  the.'  wealth  of  the  prairie's  colours.  The  red- 
dish hue  of  the  poas  and  other  wild  grasses,  tlu,'  salmon  colour  of  the  sedges,  the 
yellow  of  the  bunch,  buffalo,  and  blue-joint  grass,  tin;  deep  green  of  the  vetches, 
the  saffron-coloured  reeds,  the  red,  whit(.',  blue  and  \ellow  of  the  rich  autumn  llowers, 
blend  their  beauties  in  a  marvellous  picture.  As  autiuiin  advances,  the  grasses  take  a 
lighter  hue.  They  are  d)ing.  One  by  one  the  flowers  disappear.  Instead  of  the 
variety  of  colour  so  splendidly  lavished  a  few  weeks  ago,  tluM-e  is  only  an  unbroken 
field  of  yellow,  fast  merging  into  white.  It  is  now  well  on  in  October.  The  days  are 
cool  ;  the  nights  cold.  Winter  is  at  hand.  Keen  frosts  kill  all  remaining  traces  ot 
vegetation.  But  winter  is  not  yet.  The  sun  seems  to  sweep  higher.  The  atmosphere 
takes  on  a  hazy  and  smoky  look.  The  sun  is  red  during  the  day  and  at  his  setting. 
The   frosts  cease,  and  the   Indian   summer    of    the   North-w^est  sets    in.      Day  in  and  day 


202 


OUR   PlCTi  'RRSQl  7: 


CKOSS     LAKK. 


away.  i'hc  frost  puts  an  end  to  farming  operations,  and  the  winter  fairly  commences — 
a  winter  terrible  to  the  inexperienced  for  its  length  and  severity,  but  perhaps  the  most 
enjoyable  season   of    the  \(;ar  to   Canadians,    Hast  and   West. 

Professor  Mind,  after  speaking-  of  the  prairie  as  it  appeared  to  him  (|uarter  of 
a  centur\-  aL,M),  on  tlur  Assineboine  and  Ijetween  Winnipet^  and  the  boundary  line,  "  in 
its  ordinary  aspect  of  sameness,  immensity,  and  unclaimed  endowments,"  describes  "its 
extraordinary  aspects'"  in  the  following  graphic  language: — 


NORTHERN  NEIGJ/nOR  203 

"  It  must  be  seen  at  sunrise,  when  the  \ast  plain  siuhh'nl)-  iiashes  with  rose-coloured 
Hght,  as  the  rays  of  the  sun  sparlcle  in  the  dew  on  the  Ion<^^  rich  s^rass,  trently  stirred 
bv  the  unfaihiiLT  mornini;-  l)rceze.  It  must  be  seen  at  noon-ilay,  wlien  refraction  swells 
into  the  forms  of  tlistant  hill  ranges,  the  ancient  beaches  ;ind  ritlges  of  Lake  Winni- 
peg", uliicli  mark  its  former  extension  ;  when  eacli  willow  bush  is  magnified  into  a 
grove,  each  far  distant  clump  of  asp(;ns,  not  seen  bc:fore,  into  wide  forests,  and  the 
outline  of  wooded  ri\t;r  banks,  far  beyond  unassisted  \  ision,  rise  into  view.  It  must  be 
seen  at  sunset,  when  just  as  the  bail  of  tu-(^  is  dip[)ing  below  the  horizon,  he  throws  a 
flood  of  red  light,  indescribabU'  magniticent,  u[)on  the  illimitable  waving  green,  the 
colours  blending  and  separating  with  the  gc-ntle  roll  of  the  long  grass,  s(;emingly  mag- 
nified toward  the  horizon  into  tlu;  distant  hea\ing  swell  of  a  parti-coloured  s(^a.  It  must 
be  seen  too  by  mooidight,  when  the  summits  of  the  low  g'reen  grass  wav(,'s  an'  tip[)ed 
with  silver,  and  tlu;  stars  in  the  west  suddeidy  disappear  as  they  touch  the  earth. 
I'inally,  it  must  be;  seen  at  night,  when  tlu;  distant  prairies  are  in  a  blaze,  thirty,  fifty 
or  st.'vent)'  miles  away  ;  when  the;  lire  reaches  clumps  of  aspen,  and  the  forketl  tips  of 
the  flames,  magnified  b)'  refraction,  tlash  and  ([uiver  in  the  horizon,  and  the  reflected 
light   from   rolling  clouds  of  smoke  above    tell    of  the  havoc  which   is   raging  below." 

All  those  pictures  belong  to  the  glowing  summer.  Ihit  the  prairie,  like  the  shield, 
has  two  sides.  It  should  also  be  seen  in  a  blizzard,  if  you  can  see  and  live,  when  the 
snow,  tlriven  before  the  wind,  llies  level  through  tlu;  air,  cutting  like  a  knife,  and  carry- 
ing with  it  an  intense;  cold  that  neither  man  nor  b(;ast  can  fac<;  ;  when,  as  the  storm 
gathers  strength,  sky  and  prairie;  are  blended  in  oik;  undistinguishable  mass  of  blinding 
white,  and  nought  is  heard  but  the;  mael  hurrying  and  howling  of  the  wind  around  and 
overhead,  and  the;  hissing  at  _\e)ur  teet  with  which  it  driv(;s  through  the  long  grasses 
that  the  snow   has  ne)t  covereel  complete;l)'. 

The  Xe)rth-west  is  not  all  prairie.  .\nd  the  [jrairie  is  not  everywhere  a  monoto- 
nous, treeless  expanse.  Even  in  the  Re;el  Ri\er  X'alley,  belts  of  wood  usuall}'  skirt 
the  ri\ers  aiiel  the  smaller  slre;ams  e)r  "creeks."  Much  of  this  wood  has  bee'U  cut  ele)\,n, 
so  that  there  are  le)ng  stretches  e)f  the  ri\er  unshaded  by  trees,  but  whe'rever  a  belt 
of  wooel  is  se;en  it  may  be  assumeel  that  there  a  stre-am  is  draining  the  prairie.  At 
.Selkirk,  where  the  Canada  Pacific  Railroad  first  strikes  the  river,  tlu;  intervale  is  cov- 
ereel with  graceful  elms  ;  aiul  the  country  re)und  about  has  a  beautiful  park-like  appear- 
ance;. Besides  the  elm,  tlu;  tree;s  ejf  the-  Reel  River  \'alley  are  oak,  ash-lea\ed  maple 
anel  iK)plar.  Of  the;se,  the  pe)plar  or  tre;mbling  aspe;n,  is  the  characteTistic  tree  e)f  the 
Xe)rth-we'st.  As  the  traveller  goes  west,  he  sees  hardly  any  other  fe)r  hundreels  of 
mile;s.  The;  ash-leaved  maple  is  likely  te)  prove  the  favourite  shade-tree  for  the  cities  of 
Manitoba. 

The  railway  crosses  the  Reel  River  at  Winnipeg,  but  Selkirk  was  the  point  origi- 
nally selected    by    the    Government  for  "  the    crossing "    and    for    the  site  of  a  city    that 


204 


OCR  /'/crcR/isor/: 


would    ha\c    soon    Ixhoihc    the    capital   of    Manitoba.        There    wv.vr    various    reasons    for 
this  selection,   onl\    one    of 


which   neetl   be    reft^rred   to 
here,     I^ctween  Selkirk  anc 
the  old   Stone'    j-'ort  of    tlu 
Hudson's      Bay     Conipan)- 


four  miles  f.u'ther  up,  the 
rix'er  is  conliiK  d  to  a 
narrow  Ix'd  \)\  limestone 
hanks,  and  conseiiuenth'  hem^ 
dammed  hack  in  times  of  llood, 
it  ma\'  o\-erllow  the  countrx  all 
the  wa\'  to  W'innipcL:.  .\s  the 
(juickness  with  which   a   bottle  can 


.VOA'  ////■: A'. \    X/HCUIiOR 


20  = 


2o6 


OUR   PJCTi  KESQl  7:' 


be  emptied  depends  principally 
on  the  size  of  its  neck,  it  would 
seem  that  floods  similar  to  those 
which  have  occurred  three  or  four 
times  in  the  century  are  unavoid 
able  in  the  future.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  say  that  the  man 
who  whispers  such  a  contini^ency 
in  Winnipeg  is  looked  upon  as  a 
very  disagreeable  person.  Doubt- 
less  Noah  was  so    regarded   in  his 

day.  People  who  have  paid  their  tens  of  thousands  for  cornc^r  lots  dislike  references 
t(j  floods,  past  or  future.  When  Mr.  Sandford  McMiiing  advised  the  Government 
to  select  Selkirk,  Winnipeg  was  only  "  tlie  miserable-looking  village"  that  Captain 
liutler  called  it  in  1S70,  and  it  might  have  been  transferred  bodily  on  a  few  Red 
River  boats.  It  is  otherwise  now,  and  an  old-tashioned  (lood-  should  it  come— would 
destroy    millions'    worth     of    [)roperty.       Time     has     vindicated     the    correctness    of     Mr. 


LOWKR     KOKT     GAKRY. 


NORrilHRN  NEIGHBOR  ro; 

Fleming's  judgment  on  other  points.  In  this  matter  he  may  have;  l^een  cvei  cautious, 
but  time  will   tell. 

The  growth  of  Winnipeg  since  1S77  has  heen  phenomenal.  Statistics  need  not 
be  given,  for  they  are  paraded  in  every  newspaper,  and  so  far,  the  giowth  of  one 
month — no  matter  how  marxellous  that  may  be— is  sure  to  be  eclipsed  by  the  next. 
'1  he  going  and  coming  at  the  railwa)'  station  combines  the  rush  of  a  great  city  with 
all  the  characteristics  of  emigrant  and  |)ioneer  life.  Ihit  inst"ad  of  entering  W'iniipeg 
by  railwa)',  it  is  bettt;r  to  stop  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  'lUd  see  the  ([uaint  Irench 
suburb  of  St,  lioniface,  antl  Archbishop  Tache's  Cathedral  and  College.  We  c.  1  then 
cross  by  the  St.  lioniface  steam-ferry  anil  take  a  look  at  the  city  in  a  more  Irisurdy 
way.  Even  at  the  landing,  the  lirst  thing  that  strikes  us  is  that  incongruous  blending 
of  the  ntnv  and  the  old,  of  barbarism  jostling  against  cixilizalion,  that  dislingu^ishes 
every  corner  of  Winnipeg  and  c^very  phase  of  its  life.  .Spi'cimens  of  almost  extinct 
savape  and  semi-savapc  nationalities  traze  at  steam-boats  antl  steam-mills  and  all  the 
appliances  of  modern  life  with  eyes  that  tlream  of  far  diffen^nt  scenes  that  were  \es- 
terday  but  ha\<i  \anished  forever.  In  this  bran-new  city  a  historical  society,  a  tirst-rate 
club,  colleges  and  cathedrals  have  sprung  up,  but  you  find  at  the  landing  that  water  is 
drawn  from  the  river  b\-  the  time-honoured  "  hauley  sj'stem  "  ami  sold  by  th('  gallon. 
Mere  is  old  Fort  Garry,  but  its  glories  have  departed.  ()nc(;  it  was  the  centre  ol  the 
Hudson  ])a\'  Company's  life  and  that  meant  the  life  of  the  Xorlh-wc^st.  Its  walls  ami 
bastions  were;  a  xcritabU;  "  Ouadrilateral "  in  the  eyes  of  tlu;  Intlian  and  half-breed. 
They  ought  to  have  been  saveil  as  a  memorial  of  the  oKUmi  timt-,  but  progr(;ss  is 
relentless.  Progress  abolished  the  walls  and  gates  of  Quebec.  How  could  I'Ort  Carry 
expect  to  be  preserveil,   except   in   a  picture  ? 

Winnipeg  is  London  or  New  York  on  a  small  scale.  You  meet  people  trom 
almost  ever)-  part  of  the  world.  Ask  a  man  on  the  street  for  direction,  antl  the 
chances  are  ten  to  one  that  he  answers,  "  I  have  just  arri\ed,  sir."  b'riends  meet  who 
parted  last  on  the  other  side  of  the  globe,  and  with  a  hast)-,  "What!  )ou  here,  too.''" 
each  passes  on  his  way,  probabl)-  to  a  real-estate  office  or  auction  room.  The  writer 
saw  Winnipeg  first  in  iHp.  It  consisted  of  a  few  rickety-looking  shanties  that  looked 
as  if  they  had  been  dropped  promiscuously  on  the  verge  of  a  boundless  prairie.  The 
poorest  inhabitant  seemed  willing  to  give  any  one  a  lot  or  an  acre.  And  now,  land  on 
Main  Street  and  the  streets  adjoining,  is  held  at  higher  figures  than  in  the  centre  of 
Toronto  ;  and  Winnipeggers,  in  referring  to  the  future,  never  make  comparisons  with 
any  city  smaller  than  Chicago. 

Winnipeg  presents  odd  contrasts  in  summer  and  winter.  In  no  city  of  its  size  are 
there  so  many  University  graduates.  These  rub  shoulders,  as  if  to  the  manner  born, 
A'ith  Mennonites,  Icelanders,  half-breeds  and  Indians.  Teams  of  splendid-looking 
horses  ami  elegant  equipages    drive    side    by  side    with    primitive    carts    drawn  by  oxen, 


2o8 


OCR   PICTURRSOUE 


harncssctl    with    buckskin   or  sliai;;uia|>[);.      Xo  city   is  aa\c'r  on  a   line  winter's  clay.       The 
bright   sunshine  and   cxlii'.a.atini;-    air  make    one   utterly   I'ciL^ardless  ot    thennonieter    regis- 


terino's.       lUit     it    sliouj 


/ 

-•-V 


be    seen,   too.   when    a     bliz/ard   is   ra_i,nnL,f    through    the    streets. 

The  contrast    between   show)'  sho[)s  and   houses   full  (jf  comfort 

and   L;()()tl   cheer,  and   the   wikl   rexcl   of  h^ost   and  snow  outside 

brin^s    the  storm   Into    full   relief.       Th   c  may 


''' 


he  cln\  uil;  snow-storms  without  a  \er\'  low  tem- 
perature, init  these  are  not  dangerous.  It  is 
on  a  da\'  in  the  earl\-  months  of  the  year,  when 
tile  ihernujmeter  is  low,  the  sk}'  storni\-  and 
unsettled,  ami  the  wind  fierce  and 
steadx,  thai  the  real  blizzard  comes; 


STKAMHOAT     LAXuI.Nu 


usualh-     from     the    west,    as     the    i)ran-ie 

i^rrasses  show,   which   always    lie   tlattened 

cjut     toward     the     east    b\-     the     westerly    winds. 

During    \\\v.    height    of    the  storm,    settlers    hardly 

dare  venture  to  their  out-houses   to   feed  and   water 

their  cattle.      The  poor  belated  farmer,  caught  perhaps  with   his  "b 

team    at  some  distance;    from    a  house,    makes    for    the  nearest 

bluff  of  woods.      The  tretis  IkmuI  double  before   the  gale.      All 

around  he  hears   the    snap    and  crash   of    breaking   branches    and  falling  trees,   but  these 

are    not    thought    of    in    t:omi)aris()n    with    the    greater    danger    that    he    has  escaped.      A 

huge    tir(!    can    be    built  ;    and   then?   is    little    risk    of    the    tirinvocnl    giving  out.       Should 

there  be  no  friendly  shelter  of  house  or  bluff  near,   he  may  come    out  from  the  blizzard 

alive.       Hut  the  fine    dry  snow  is    so    blinding  and    penetrating,   and    the  frost    so  merci- 


NORrirERN  NEIGHBOR 


209 


less,  that  tlie  odds  aro  \vx\  jj^rcatly  in  favour  of  the  hlizzavd.  In  towns,  the  l)uildings 
Ijlock  the  fury  of  the  storm  ;  l)ut  streets  in  the  line;  of  the  wind  and  open  to  its  force 
|)resent    a    more  wild    and    stricken    appearance    than    the    piairie.       There,   one    sheet    of 


A     BLIZZAHD     IN     WINNll'KC;. 


rushiuL,^  white  tills  the  whole  hori/on.  In  the  cit\-,  the  blizzard  is  broken  up  and  is 
forced  to  show  itself  in  dt'tail.  As  \-ou  look  through  the  windows,  men  or  teams  are 
now  and  then  \isii)le,  tl^iitin;^'  with  the  storm-tiend,  while  shimmies,  Jjoards  and  lii^ht 
objects  arc  hurled  in  all  directions.  With  such  force  is  the  snow  ilri\en  that,  after  the 
storm,  the  banks  are  as  solid  as  ice.  Heavy  loails  are  drixcn  o\'er  them  without  leav- 
in,L,^  a  mark  :  and  this,  not  as  the  result  of  an\-  thaw  or  damp  snow  afterwards  Irozen, 
but  simpK  from  the  impetus  of  the  wind  haxinj^  compacted  the  line  dr\  particles  into 
a  solid  mass.  llappilw  the  l)lizzards  of  v,\\x  \orth-wesi  do  iu)t  last  xcry  lon^-,  twelve 
hours  usualK-  sec'ino;  their  force  spent.  A  few  \-ears  a^o,  one  in  Minnesota  ra^cd  for 
three  ilaxs  and  three  nights.  Kver)-  lixim.;"  thinj.;  outsiiK;  perished.  Cattle  froze  or 
starved  to  death  in  their  stables.  In  man\-  t:ases,  firewood  t^^ave  out,  antl  though  the 
furniture,    floors    and    beams   of    the    house    were    burned,  the  older    ami   weaker    ones  of 


lO 


uL  J^  rici  rKiisorh: 


I'oatl-sKic     and     a     l)caulilui 
of     Rupert's     Land,    whose 


(■ur\(:    in 
hishonric 


from  the  City  flail,  St.  John's 

Colk'Lre  and    I.adii's'  CollciLi^e, 

and     the     modest     Catliedral    stand     I'etween     the 

the     river.        Here     is     the     seat     of     the     Hishop 

oriLjinally     extended      from     the     Coast     of     Labrador     to     the     Rocky     Mountains,     and 

from   th(.'   boimdary   line    to    the    North     Pole.       'I'he    tirst    missionary   of    the    Church    of 

England    arrixctl    in     1S20,   hut    the     bishopric    was    not     founded     till    i  S49.      The     whiti; 

people  of   the  settlement   were    IVesbyterians,   i)rou,L;ht    out   from   the    Hit^hlands  ol    Scot- 

land   in    181 2    by  the   l""arl   of  Selkirk.      The    great    majorit)'    of    these,    with    the    loyalty 


.\(  Vv'  rin-RX  .\i-:i(,iinoR 


311 


iharactcrislic  of  llicir  race,  refused  to  desert  the  church  ol  their  fathers,  and  hecoine 
Aiij^licans,  althoui^h  lor  fort\-  \cars  no  minister  of  their  own  (  hiirch  came  near  them. 
In  1S51,  'die  Ke\.  |ohn  ISIaik,  a  man  of  a|iostolic  spirit,  was  sent  to  them  li\  the 
Canada  I'resh\  lerian  C'limHh.  Arrixin^',  after  ,in  ei;^lit  weeks'  journe)  Irom  1  oronto, 
lie  was  w;irnd\'  welcomed  l)\  the  I  I  ii^hlanders,  e\cn  though  hi'  could  not  speak  their 
lielovcil     (i.ielic,       riiey    at     once    organized    themseUes     into    a    cun^ri'i^ation,    .iiul    huilt 


^^#|ffi|' 


t)Ln     I'OKI      GARICV. 


manse,  schooldiouse,  and  the  stone  kirk  of  l\ildonan,  the  steeple  of  wliich  was  for 
many  years  after  the  yreat  outstaiulini;  mark  on  the  le\el  prairie.  The  kind  between 
Winnipeg-  and  Kilih)nan  was  thxided  into  ril).uid-shaped  farms,  accordins^r  to  tlie  plan 
ado|)ted  i)\-  the  l'"rc;iich  two  ccnturic's  previousl)-  on  the  St.  Lawrence  ;  th(!  object  in 
both   cases    beinj^    to  j^ive  each   householder  a   fronta^^e  on   the   river.      These   ril)ands  are 


212  OCR   PICTURESQUE 

now  hfiiio-  hoiii^rht  up  by  speculators  at  what  would  have;  been  considered  fabulous 
prices  three  or  four  )-ears  a^o.  I'hey  extended  two  miles  back  into  the  prairie,  and  two 
miles  farther  back  were  allowed  b\-  the  lludson's  Ha\-  Com|)an\  for  hax-cutliuL;.  "  llay 
swamps"  are  almost  as  necessary  as  tlry  prairie  to  the  Manitoba  farmer.  ( )n  each  side 
of  the  roatl  to  Kildonan  are  tields  that  haxc  borne  wheat  for  sixty  Ncars  without  rota- 
tion of  crops  or  manure  -as  conxincini,'-  a  proof  of  the  exhauslless  fertilit)-  of  tin-  soil 
as  could  be  desired.  In  the  wheat-tields,  the  women  work  at  har\'estin<;  as  hearlil)-  as 
the  men.  Where  the  prairie  is  not  cultivated,  the  rude  bark  or  skin  tent  of  some 
vvretcheil-lookim;  Indians,  or  a  stack  of  ha)-,  is  the  onl)'  object  between  the  road  and 
the   western   sky   line. 

InlerestinL;,  and  after  a  fashion  phenomenal  as  Winnipei^f  is,  it  must  not  be  su|)- 
posed  that  we  can  tiiul  the  true  North-west  in  its  towns  and  i:ities.  There,  speculators 
conL;reii;ate  to  L;ct  up  "booms"  ami  similar  transactions,  boL^us  or  sli^htl\-  otherwise. 
But  the  brood  of  barnacles  and  \ultures  are  unbeautiful  and  uninieresiinL;-  to  the  artist 
and  to  health)-  human  beiui^s.  It  we  would  see  the  s^reat  Xorth-wt'st,  and  thos(^  who, 
instead  of  discountiuL;-,  are  makiuL;-  its  future,  the  poor  but  strong-  ones  who  sujjport  the 
barnacles  and  are  i)re)(;d  upcjn  b)-  the  vultures,  we  must  <j;^o  out  to  the  (piarter-seclions 
that  the  toilers  of  the  prairie  are  home-steadino-  and  pre-eniptiuL;-.  There,  is  enough  to 
stir  tlu;  imagination  and  warm  the  heart,  brom  the  commencement  the  elements  of 
poetr)-  an;  in  th(;  work  and  the  men.  The  successive  sta]^-(;s  can  be  easil)-  traced  and 
the  pro>.(ress  is  rapid.  Here  is  a  picture  of  what  is  rejx'atin^  itself  e\-er)-  da)-.  A 
group  of  faniilies  st;irt  h-om  the  older  provinces  in  earl)'  spring,  because  ihoui^h  they 
mav  have  to  suHt;r  ijeculiar  hardships  at  that  season,  the)-  are  anxious  to  put  up  their 
buildini^s  and  Leather  a  partial  crop  from  the  upturned  sod  before  the  first  winter  comes. 
The  farms  consist,  at  the  outset,  of  the  vast  stretch  of  untilled  land  that  has  waited 
long-  for  the  plough;  the  farm-house  is  the  emigrant's  wagon  or  "prairie  schooner"; 
the  stables  the  sky,  and  their  bed  a  water-proof  on  the  prairie.  In  a  w('ek,  less  or 
more,  the  tirst  house  is  up.  Neighbour  helps  neighbour.  .\  temporar)-  house  may  be 
made  of  sods.  t\.l  some  jjoints  iii  Manitoba  stone  houses  are  si^eii.  Hut,  poplar  logs, 
round  or  hewed,  are  the  usual  material,  with  perhaps  a  tier  of  oak  or  tamarack  next  to 
the  ground,  as  poplar  does  not  last  loiig  if  in  contact  with  nioisture.  ]''ailing  oak  or 
tamarack,  the  building  is  set  clear  f)f  th(;  ground  on  stones  or  (;\-en  a  stone  wall,  and 
if  possible  banked  with  sand  which  is  always  clean  and  dry.  The  corners  of  the  logs 
are  dove-tailed  or  set  on  each  other  in  tlu;  notch  and  satldle  style.  The  spaces 
between  the  logs  are  chunked  u])  with  billets  of  wood  and  mortar.  Sometimes,  there  is 
superadtled  a  coating  of  the  very  tenacious  whitish  sand)-  clay,  which  is  found  every- 
where in  the  Province,  and  which  bakes  harchir  than  adobe.  The  roof  is  shingled  or. 
thatched,  the  thatch  grass  being  put  on  with  -withes  or  laid  in  white  n-iud.  Wealthy 
settlers   build   more    pretentious    frame  houses  ;    but    lumbi^r  is  expensive,   and    the   poplar 


NOR TffF.RN  NElGimOR 


213 


ST.    JOHN'S     CHURCH. 


ST.  JOHNS  COl.I.F.C.K. 

loc^s  if  properly  plastered 
mak(>  a  substantial  and  warm 
building',   wliich    is    likely    to 

last  until  the  family  is  tiretl  of  it.  The  settler  now  has  shelter.  ('onipl;ucntl\-  he  looks 
on  his  own  neat,  white-washed  castle,  and  his  own  four  walls.  The  walls  are  about  all 
that  he  has;  for  the  ground  lloor  does  not  inehuU?  evc;n  the  Scotch  "but  and  ben."  It 
usually  consists  of  one  larj^c;  room,  with  a  rick(.'t\-  ladder  in  the  mitldle  that  leads  to 
the  loft  or  upper  stor\-  where  rude  (piarters  for  the  nii;ht  are  found.  .\  ilark  strip  on 
the  green  prairie  that  bespeaks  the  presence  of  the  plough  is  the  ne.xt  step  in 
advance  ;  then  a  piece  of  fencing,  or  one  or  two  stables  or  other  out-houses.  Cattle 
gather  round  the  steading.  .Similar  farm-houses  sjiring  up  in  all  directions,  dotting 
the  hitherto  lonely  expanse  with  centres  of  life  and  interest.  June  comes,  and  the 
plough  is  in  full  swing.  "Gee,"  antl  "Haw,"  art;  h(;ard  for  miles  round.  Hlack  strips 
of  ploughed  land,  becoming  larger  every  day,  are  i)leasantly  noticeable.  I^Ymces  are  run 
up  Where  the  prairie  has  been  broken  beside  the  house,  the  chances  are  that  the 
dark-green  of  the  potato  vine  is  seen  coming  through  the  sod  ;  and  farther  ofT,  a  piece 
of    oats  or  barley,   looking  strong  and   hearty.       Perhaps   a  row  of    trees  is  planted   along 


214 


och'  rn  I  ri<i:s()ii-: 


Kli.DU.NAN     CIlLla  II. 


A     HAM  -HUr.l.l)     I  ARM. 

tlic  mad    in    front    of    tin-    house 

And  now,  \isil    the  settle  nirni    in 

August   or  Sr|ii(inl)(i-,    the   mosi 

delii_;luliil    liiiif    ol     tin-    \car   for 

prairie    travellini;',    and     ask     the 

settlers    how    the\    like    the    new 

country.        The     answer     will    Ix-, 

in   ninet\-nine    i-ases    out    of    an 

hundred,   either  "  iMrsl-class,"   or 

"  ^'ou  couldn't   \>;iy  nie   to   return 

to   ( )ntario,"  or   ■'  I  ha\-e  L;ot   the   hest    farm    in    tlic    Xortli-wcst."      With    |)ride,    ihey   point 

out    the   proi^rcss    that     has    l)een     made    in    a    few     months,   aiul    contrast     it     with     what 

Would     have     been    at:complished    in      the    same     tinu-     on     a     hush     farm     in    any    ot     the 

older   proxinres.       .Next     year,    a    line    (idd   (,i    wlieat    is   prett\-    sure   to    siretcli    away    Irom 

tile    front     tloor ;      the      milkdiouse     is     furnished    with     rows    of     hrii^ht     pans     tilled     with 

creamy    milk;     hut     neither    tirst    year,   secoiul     \-ear,     nor    at     an\-    time     is     th(^     passing' 

stranger  allowed    to  go  on    his   journ(;y  without    heing  ot'fered    the   hospitalitx  of  the   farm. 

He   \u-fi.\  not    hesitate   to  accept   a  sc^at   at   the   tahle  ;    for.  as   a  rule,  the  Canadian   farmer's 

wife    or    daughters    spreatl    a     -I'lan   tahle    and    took    their    simple    food  as    nicely  as  the 

dyspeptic    C  helsea  sage  could   have  desired. 

Listen   to   the  advice  that  an  old  settler  gives  to  a  new-comer,   with   from   $i,ooo  to 


.\<>A' ////■: A' \  xnn.iinoR 


31 


inti;kiok   (ii     a   skim-kks   lahin. 


2T6 


OUR   PICrURHSOUE 


Z]^ 


.3'\ 


'0 


a*: 


#    ...  .. 


•  ^*~^ 


Ji'*#" 


i=ri3V;;j^-   ^ii^^i'j^,^  ,. 


Ml      ii.\k\'I'sti-:rs;. 


labour.  lincst  the  rest  of  your  uiniKn'  in  milch  cows  with  th(Mr  caKes.  He  read}-  to 
commence  "  i)reakin_<^"  early  in  June,  and  look  for  whatever  promises  quick  returns.  The 
cows  should  k('(q)  the  house  supplied  with  butter  and  milk,  and  then;  maj-  be  a  surplus  to 
sell.  Ww.  sooner  you  t^et  the  plouij^h  to  work  the  better.  Make  the  breaking-  of  twenty 
or  thirty  acn-s  \our  objective  point,  and  keep  at  it  as  steadiK'  as  you  and  \our  oxen 
can.  The  best  time  to  break  is  from  pe(,'p  of  dawn  till  about  9  a.  m.,  and  from 
4  r.  M.,  till  dark.  The  oxen  should  rest  in  the  interval,  and  their  o^v'ner  may  take  a 
sleep  and  th(;n  fix  up  thinji^s  ^-iMierally.  Potatoes  can  be  planted  under  the  newly- 
turned  sod,  a  1(1,  if  the  season  L)e  not  too  dry,  will  .q^ivc;  a  s^ootl  return.  Oats  and 
barley  may  be    sowed   on    the  prairie  and   ])louti^hed  in.      If  you  get  fall  ploughing  done. 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR  217 

commence  seedinor  next  spring  as  soon  as  the  frost  is  sufificiently  below  the  surface  to 
allow  the  harrows  to  cover  the  seed.  The  moisture  from  the  frozen  ground  beneath 
continues  to  ascend  and  keeps  the  seed-bed  in  good  condition.  If  money  gives  out, 
good  wages  can  be  had  at  any  time  on  the  railways,  or  the  lumber  mills,  or  almost 
anywhere,  for  a  few  weeks  or  months.  We  know  of  men  who  commenced  a  few  years 
ago  with  $200  or  less,  and  who,  by  dint  of  hard  work  and  self-denial,  have  already 
earned  comfort  and  a  competency.  But  the  settler  must  live  according  to  his  means. 
If  he  gets  into  debt  and  pays  ten  and  twelve  per  cent  for  mone)',  he  is  in  a  perilous 
state. 

livery  one  has  heard  of  the  mammoth  farms  of  the  Red  River  \'^alley.  These  are 
to  be  found  chietly  in  Minnesota  and  Dakota,  though  capitalists  are  beginning  to  find 
their  way  to  many  parts  of  the  North-west  and  are  projecting  similar  undertakings 
as  investments.  Money  can  certainly  be  made  in  this  way,  for  no  part  of  the  workl  is 
better  adapted  for  the  application  of  steam  to  agriculture  and  for  all  the  cxpensi-.e 
apparatus  that  modern  farming  on  a  large  scale  recpiires.  The  mammoth  wheat  lams 
are  di\ided  into  sections,  with  an  overseer  and  the  reciuisite  number  of  "hands"  to 
each.  In  har\esling,  scores  of  reaping  and  binding  machines  are  used.  The  grain 
is  threshed  on  the  prairie,  and  immeeliately  sent  off  to  tlie  market.  The  straw  is 
burned,  the  hands  are  paid  off,  and  the  tlividends  for  the  year  declared.  Worshippers 
of  "  the  big "  talk  with  enthusiasm  of  these  farms.  They  are  no  doubt  useful,  as  far 
as  the  best  interests  of  a  country  are  concerned,  but,  after  all,  jioor  affairs  in 
comparison  with  the  log-house  of  the  ordinary  farmer ;  just  as  the  deer-forest  or 
grouse  preserve  in  the  .Scottish  Highlands  is  a  miserable  exchange  for  the  wrecked 
shielings  of  the  true-hearted  clansmen,  whose  fathers  died  at  Culloden  for  Prince 
Charles,  and  at  Ticonderoga  and   Waterloo  for  us. 

The  North-west  bids  fair  to  Ije  the  future  granary  of  the  world.  It  is  scarcely 
possible  to  estimate  its  "illimitable  possibilities."  People  talk  of  one,  two,  or  three 
huntlred  million  acres  of  good  land.  These  round  figures  indicate  both  their  ignorance 
and  the  greatness  of  the  realitw  We  have  onlv  to  remember  that  the  average  produce 
per  acre  is  twenty  bushels  of  wheat  to  calculate  the  possibilities  of  such  a  country,  taking 
the  lowest  of  the  above  estimates,  when  peopled  with  tillers  of  the  soil.  This  vast 
region  is  the  true  habitat  of  the  wheat  plant.  Here  it  attains  perfection.  The  berry 
is  amber-colonred,  full,  round,  rich  in  gluten,  and  with  that  flinty  texture  which  is  lack- 
ing in  the  wheat  of  more  southern  regions.  The  yield  is  astonishing,  not  only  because 
of  the  richness  of  the  soil,  but  because  here  th(;  plant  attains  its  full  development. 
"  Look,"  said  a  practical  miller  from  Minnesota,  who  had  visited  Winnipeg,  "  I  never 
before  saw  more  than  two  well-form(,'d  grams  in  each  group  or  cluster,  forming  a 
row,  but  here  the  rule  is  three  grains  in  each  clust(;r.  That  is  the  difference  between 
twenty  and  thirty  bushels  per  acre."     Prof.    Macoun,   the   Botanist  of  the  Canadian   Gov- 


2lS 


OCR  ricrrRiisoLi': 


.\H»IH  KN      I'RAIKIK      KAUMlNti. 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR  2iq 

cniincnt  Survey,  reports  that  at  Prince  Alljcrt,  five  hundrctl  miles  north-west  from 
Winnipeg,  and  at  l'"ort  \'ermihon  on  Peace  River,  six  or  seven  hundred  miles  still 
farther  a\\a\'  to  the  North-west,  lixe  well-formed  trains  arc;  some-times  found  in  each 
group  or  cluster.  Wheat  from  Peact;  Ri\'er,  sevtMi  hundreil  miles  due  north  of  the 
boundary   line,    "  took   the  hronzt;  uKnlal   at   the   CtMitennial    in    Philadelpliia   in    1S76." 

While  the  Hudson's  Pay  Comi)any  held  sway  over  the  North-west,  it  was  lh(; 
fashion  lo  npresent  the  counti^N'  as  utterh'  and  hopelessly  hyperborean.  lichoes  of 
tile  stories  told  in  tliose  days,  of  the  t^round  HMuaining  froziMi  all  summer,  of  mercury 
freezing  and  axes  splinlei-mg  against  frozen  trees,  still  lloat  in  tlu;  air  and  make  men 
unable  to  l)eli(nc,  in  spite  of  all  that  has  been  recently  written,  that  it  can  be 
anything  b(;tt('r  than  an  arctic  region.  Calumnies  die  hard.  The  emigrant  will  find 
dilticultit.'s  in  every  country  to  which  \\(\  goes,  but  tht;re  are  none  in  tlie  North- 
west that  cannot  be  overcome  by  united  effort  and  for(;thought.  The  climate  is  not 
ver}'  different  from  that  of  Eastern  Canada,  ami  is  even  more  h^.alt]iy.  The  winter  is 
colder,  Init  on  account  of  the  dr\iiess  of  the  air  the  colil  is  not  so  much  felt.  The 
summer  is  warmer,  but  the  nights  are  always  remarkably  cool.  April  and  May  are 
usually  dry,  and  all  that  the  farnuM"  can  d(.'sir(.'.  June  is  the  rainy  season.  Jul)'  and 
August  are  the  hot  months,  and  tluring  these  the  growth  of  all  plants  is  marvellously 
vifTorous  and  (luick.  Jhe  autumn  is  cool,  dr\',  and  invitroratinL",  the  very  weather  for 
harvesting.  The  rivers  freeze  in  No\  ember  ami  open  for  navigation  in  Aj)ril.  Decem- 
ber is  clear  and  cold,  with  but  little  s  low.  January  and  ]'"ebruar\-  are  the  coldest 
months,  and  storms  ma)"  be  looketl  tor  occasionally.  March  is  sunn\-,  and  broken  b)' 
thaws.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  winter  the  air  is  remarkabh  still.  The  ther- 
mometer may  sink  to  50  d(;grees  below  zero,  but  pc;ople  |)r(jperly  clad  experience  no 
inconvenience  ;  and  teaming,  logging,  rock-(  uiting,  go  on  to  as  great  an  extent  as  in 
the   Eastern    Proxinces   in   winter. 

Some  seasons  are  too  wet,  and  then  there  is  trouble  in  the  R(?d  Ri\er  \'alle)-, 
wlu;re  the  land  is  low.  An  extensive  sxstem  ol  drainage  has  been  organized  by  the 
(iovernmenl  and  the  municipalities,  which  will  tlo  much  to  meet  this  difiliculty.  I^lse- 
where,  ])lough  furrows  are  sufticicMit  to  drain  the  land.  If  the  grain  gets  a  fair  start  in 
the  si)ring,  no  matter  how  dr\'  the  summer,  a  drought  has  no  eflect  sa\  e  on  the 
length  of  the  straw,  'l^he  reason  would  seem  to  be  that  the  frost  ne\er  entireK 
leaves  the  ground  and  that  the  moisture  arising  from  its  thawing  is  supplied  to  the; 
roots  of  th(;  grain.  It  is  certain  that  the  roots  penetrate  into  the  soil  to  an  aston- 
ishing   ilepth. 

Other  difficulti(;s  may  be  mentioned  ;  such  as  local  hail-storms  in  August  and  .Sep- 
tember ;  terrific  thunder  ami  lightning  ;  mos(|uitoes,  esp(;cially  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
a  swamp.  (irasshoppers  or  locusts  from  the  great  American  desert,  occasional  summer 
frosts,  anil    alkali    or    an    impure    sulphate    of    sodium    in    the    soil    over    large  tracts    of 


2  20 


OCR  picrrRF.sorR 


coiiiury,  particiilarl)'  in  llu?  lu;a\ii:r  clay  lands,  must  also  he  taken  account  of,  but  these 
have  hetMi  maL;niti(;cl.  As  to  the  last,  farnnn's  now  consider  a  little  alkali  in  th('  soil 
i)eiiet"icial.  it  brings  cereals  to  niaturit\-  earlier  and  tends  to  stiffen  and  shorten  the 
straw,  thus  i-nahlinL;-  it  to  withstand  tlu;  hi^ih  wintls.  The  chief  ilitticult)'  is  to  keep  it 
out  of  tin;  wells.  This  is  ilone  1)\-  llniiiL;'  the  well  with  stone  or  l)rick,  and  usinLi'  \vater- 
linie  or  cement  to  make  it  impervious  to  soaka^c  1  he  springs  ai'e  entirely  fnn;  from 
alkali,  and  all  that  is  needed  is  to  kt-ep  out  the  surface  water.  In  a  word,  emigrants 
with  small  means  must  not  expect  to  become  wealth)-  suddenly.  ThcN'  can,  with  fru- 
j^alitN  and  induslr\,  attain  to  iiulept-ndence  in  Manitoba  in  a  shorter  tinu;  than  in 
Eastern   Canaila  ;    and   that   is  sa\  in;^'   not   a  little. 

Idle  Iiulians  of  Manitoba  are  L^radually  disappeariuL;'  before;  the  slrouL^tM'  races, 
lired  and  reared  in  poverty  ar.d  dirt,  and  ha\inu;'  generally  the  taint  ol  heredilar\- 
disease,  the\'  an;  as  a  ruh;  shoildi\cd.  llu;  (loxcrnment  has  appointed  inslrui'tors, 
well  supplied  with  implements,  seed  and  cattle,  to  teach  them  farming  b\'  pi'ece[)t  and 
example  ;  but  the  poor  creatures  tlo  not  take  kindl\-  to  stead)'  work.  1  he\-  are  seen  at 
their  best  when  the)'  assemble  at  the  appointed  rendezvous  to  rec(_M\'e  their  treat\'  monev', 
faces  ckuibed  with  bright  paint,  and  I'nion  |,uk  carried  in  front  of  the  crowd,  .\fter 
the  paxinents  are  made,  tlu'\'  ha\'e  a  dance,  and  then  a  dog  least,  washeil  down  with 
as  much   tu'e-water  as  unscrupulous   whiske\'   dealers   can   smuggk;  to   them. 

The  halfd)r(;ed  po[)ulation  is  much  more  important.  There  are  I'.nglish  and  Scotch 
hall-breeds,  but  tlie  majoritx'  are  of  Frt'nch  extraction.  W  hen  Manitoba  was  erected 
into  a  Province,  240  acres  of  land  were  st;cured  to  each  and  all  ol  these,  down  to  the 
\oungesl  born.  'Jhe  majoritx'  have  sold  their  claims  to  speculators  ;  but  as  tin;  courts 
ha\e  recentl)'  interposed  obstacles  to  th(;  sak;  of  minors"  patents,  all  the  reserves  will 
not  come  into  the  market  till  iSSq.  The  iMX-nch  halfd)reetl  fraternizes  with  the 
Indians,  ami  leads  a  roving  life;.  .\s  a  farmer  \\v  is  not  a  succ(;ss  ;  but  in  camp,  as  a 
voyao^i'itr  and  trapper,  or  as  a  buffalo  hunter,  he  combiiK-s  the  excellencies  ol  both 
th(;  nationalities  he  represents.  The  I'.nglish  and  Scotch  ha\e  more  aflniit)-  with  the 
wa\s  ol  white;  men,  .Able  r(;presentati\-es  of  both  the  hrtMich  and  the  Llrilish  bois-hntlcs, 
however,  are  found  m  jjolitical  and  profc'ssional  lif(;.  Hut  <jnl\'  a  minorit)'  ol  those  who 
are  called  halfd)re-eds  are  entitled  to  tlu;  name.  An\'  man  or  woman  with  Indian  l)loo(l 
in  his  \t'ins  is  usualh'  classetl  as  a  half-ljreed.  A  few  Ncars  ago,  the)'  coiisliluted  the 
bulk  of  the  population  of  .Manitoba  ;  but  the)'  an;  becoming  less  iii  number  and  in 
importance  e\'er\'  \'(;ar.  Tlu;  mon;  ad\'(;iiturous  are  moxing  west  to  seek  Iresh  fields 
aiul  pastures  iu;w,  rath(;r  than  remain  crowded  in  their  old  sites  The  others  will 
become  absorbed  in  the  general  i)0|)ulalion  ;  and  the  tinge;  of  Intlian  blootl  may  givi' 
to  future  .\orth-W{;stt-rs  a  rich(;r  colour  in  clu;c;k  and  e)e,  aiul  im|)ose  some  check  on 
tlu;  keen  aceiuisitiveness  of  Celt  and   Saxon. 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR 


221 


Thk    North-west: 

RED   RIVER  TO   HUDSOWS   BAY. 


KAPIDS     AT      MULlll     OF     SASKA  TCH 1 AVAN. 

T  is  clilTiciill  to  (Icscrihc,  under  the 
coiulilion  ol  lir('\it\'  imposed  on  us 
bv  tlu.'  natnre  ol  litis  work,  the  bound- 
less rej^ions  and  "  illimitable  possibilities" — as  Lortl  Pieaconslield  lia])pil\  phrased  il— 
of  the  Xorlhwest.  Salient  featun's  ma\'  be  j^iven  b\  pen  and  pencil,  but  unless  these 
ari'  multiplied  mentally,  an  ulterK'  inad<'(|uato  idea  is  (,on\c\(Hl.  I'.xcrNthin^'  is  on  a 
scale  so  \  ast  that  anxthiuL;  like  a  deliniie  conception  is  out  ot  the  (piesiion.  i'.vcn 
its  history,  though  now  blotted  out  from  the  minds  of  men.  has  a  lari^cness  ol  outline 
that  awakens  interest  .uid  sut;\:^csts  a  i^reat  (lestin\'.  \\\'  lind  oursehcs  in  a  new 
world,  in  the  \vx\  he.irl  oi  th(>  .\merican  (."onlinenl,  far  awa_\'  Irom  its  oKl  I'roxiiices 
and  historic  .State's,  and  \vX  we  are  toKl  of  a  short  road  to  I'lurope  for  which  old 
I'r.mce    and     l^nolaiul    touyht,    which    tratie    has    useil    less    or    mort?    from    the    days    of 


222  OUR    PICrrRF.SOUE 

I'riiuc  l\ii])crl,  and  l)\  which  Scottish  ininii^rants  entered  tlie  country  thrce-(|uarlers  ot 
a  centnr\'  aj^o.  At  this  point,  then,  it  nia\  he  not  nnlittiniL;-  that  \vc  should  pause  in 
our  description  of  tlie  countr\  ;  and  in  order  to  form  a  correct  idea  ol  tlie  lakes, 
ri\-ers  and  straits,  as  well  as  of  the  lands  between  the  Ked  l\i\er  of  th<'  Xoi-th  and 
the  Atlantic,  1)\-  what  many  l)elie\c  to  lie  tin;  future  highway  Irom  Manitolia  to  Mnrop*;. 
let  us  acconipanx  a  travelk-r  who,  a  year  or  two  aijo,  went  Ironi  Winnipeg  to  London  hy 
this   route. 

I'.mharkiiv^  at  Lower  T'"ort  ('iarr\-  on  hoard  the  steamer  "  C'oKile,"  Lelon^int;  to 
the  Hudson's  ha\  C'omi)an\,  in  tlu'  morniiiL;-  ot  a  he.iutiful  da\  in  the  early  autumn, 
we  steam  down  the  l\ed  Rixcr  to  its  mouth,  thirtv-three  miles  distant,  and  into  Lake 
\\  innipeL;.  The  waters  of  tlu'  lake  are  as  mudd\-  as  those  of  the  Ked  Kixcr  itself. 
Hence  its  C ree  name  1  )irty  Water.  (icttini^  away  from  the  marshes  and  out  into 
the  lake,  I'^lk  Island  looms  up,  oil  the  mouth  ot  the  \\'i^nipe^■  Ri\-er.  This  stream 
is  as  ku'Li'e  as  the  ()tta\\a,  and  drains  nearly  the  whole  conntr\-  from  Lake  .Superior. 
All  forenoon  our  course  is  down  the  middle  of  the  lake.  The  land  on  our  left,  ten 
or  twc^he  miles  distant,  is  uniformly  low  and  le\cl.  That  on  tlu.'  rij^ht,  not  cpiite  so 
tar  awa\\  is  also  low,  hut  it  presents  a  slii^htK'  undulating'  outline.  .About  the  middle 
of  the  da)'  we  pass  between  P)lack  Lsland  on  the  rii^'hl  and  WV^  Islaml  (U1  the  left. 
We  AW.  near  enough  the  shore;  to  ohservt:  tlu;  little  shanties  of  the  scattered  Icelandic 
settlement  which  e.xtends  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake  all  the  wa}'  trom  the  mouth 
of  the  Reel  Rixer  to  ISit;  Island.  A  few  miles  farther  on,  (.  .rintlstone  Point,  with 
its  clitt  of  horizontal  beds  of  limestone  aiul  sandstone,  is  close  on  our  lett.  Our 
course  ii(^w  chaui^es  to  the  north-west,  aiid  in  two  hours  w(;  enter  a  |)art  ol  the  lake 
only  two  or  three  mil(;s  wid{>,  with  the  Hull's  Head  on  the  left,  and  a  rocky  Init  rather 
low  shore,  cox'ert'd  with  e\'(>riL:;reen  trees,  alon^'  our  ri^ht.  The  P)uirs  I  lead  is  a  pronii- 
nent  poiiit  in  a  limestone  clit'f  which  continues  to  the  I  )o^''s  H(;ad,  twelx'c  miles  distant. 
Here   we   come    to   the   narrowest   part    of   the   lake,  where   it   is   onl\'   one   uiile   in    breadth. 

Passiiii^'  this,  the;  "'n^at  bod\'  of  Lake  W'innipcLi'  now  lies  before  us,  expanding' 
regularly  till  it  reaches  its  ma.ximum  breadth  of  sixty-six  miles  opposite  to  the  mouth 
of  the  (jreat  .Saskatchewan  River,  bexond  which  it  terniinates  iii  a  rounded  sweep  like 
the  end  of  a  tennis-bat.  The  extreme  length  of  the  lake  is  272  miles,  its  de|)th  nine 
fathoms,  and  its  el<;vation  abox'e  tlu;  sea,  710  feet.  (ieologically,  it  occupies  a  shallow 
basin  of  erosion,  corresponding  with  that  of  the  (ieorgian  Hay,  having  Laurentian  rocks 
along  its  eastern,  and  .Silurian  strata  along  its  witstern  side.  The  country  to  the  east- 
ward is  everywhere  of  the  ordinary  Laurentian  character  of  the  iiorth,  iiot  mountainous, 
but  broken  by  rock\  hills  and  ridgc;s,  with  lakes,  swamps  and  timliered  \alleys 
between.  It  is  the;  gnuit  coll(;cting  basin  of  the  waters  for  hundreds  of  miles  from 
the  west,  the  east  and  the  south,  and  it  discharges  them  all,  by  the  Nelson  River, 
into   the  sea. 


XOA'  rifHRX   XFJCIIHOR 


22; 


\,    Vi^VNKN    W<iV"i^t.  V»<*'t>\\^t3^£^  "~ 


I'roin  the  narrows  al  the 
|)i)l;'s  Head,  our  toiirsc  lies 
near  tlu;  castt-rii  side  ot  the 
lake  as  lar  as  (icoi-^c's  Island, 
s(-'venl\'  or  cii^htv  miles  larllu'r 
on.  After  a  hriet  call  at  this 
small  island,  which  has  heen 
named  in  honour  ot  llie  late 
.Sir  (leor^c  Simpson,  we  -^tart 
to  cross  dia^onalK'  the  hroad- 
(>st  part  ot  the  lake  in  makiiiL;  tor  the 
.Saskatchewan.  I'",arl\-  the  next  morniii';- 
we  enter  the  tine  harbour  toinied  hy 
the  mouth  of  this  river.  W  e  procei^d 
onl\-  a  short  distance  when  the  (irand 
Rapids,  with  a  fall  of  about  fort\-tive 
feet,  bar  the  way;  the  only  effectual 
impediment  to  the  na\i,eation  ol  the 
Saskatchewan  all  the  way  to  the  foot  of  the  Rock\-  Mountains.  The  ooods  are  trans- 
porteil  l)\-  a  well-constructed  horse  railwa\-,  three  or  four  miles  in  len<;lh.  to  the  h(;ad 
of  the  rapids.  While  the  unloadint.;-  of  the  steamer  was  j^oini^'  on,  we  strolletl  aloni:; 
the  north  bank  of  the  ri\-er  to  admire  the  L;Tand  rush  of  the  siirj^nn^-  water.  Sutldeiih'. 
a  speck  appeared  upon  its  surface,  advancino-  rapidh-  towards  ns.  This  pro\ed  to  be  a 
couple;  of  Indians  in  a  small  bark  canoe,  "running''  the  rapid.  As  the\-  shot  tpiickly 
past,   we    could    see    how    intently    they  were    occupied   with     the    work    in    hand.       Much 


224 


OUR   PICrVRRSQUE 


need  there  was  of  all  their  skill  and  car(;,  to  |)re\-ent  swainpint;  at  ain  nioiiu-iU.  Their 
little  craft  soon  disappeared,  as  if  it  had  heeii  en_milpheil  in  the  foaming  water  helow, 
hut   no  doiiht   they   reached   the   foot   of  the   rapid   safely,  as  they   had   nian\-  times  before. 

At  the  (lep(")t  of  the  Iludson's  \\\\\  L"()ni|)any  at  tlu;  h(!ail  of  the  rapid,  we  found 
an  otVicer  of  the  Company  about  to  start  on  a  "  \()\at^e "  to  some  |)ost  in  the  interior, 
llis  hirch-bark  canoe  was  ol  the  kind  known  as  half-size,  beiuL;'  some  four  fathoms  in 
lenL^th,  with  si.\  feet  beam,  and  capable  of  carryiuL;'  about  two  tons,  besitles  the  cn^w  : 
the  fuU-sizetl  "north  canoe,"  or  canoe  dc  imi/'/rr,  beini^  about  doul)le  this  capacit\'.  Ihe 
"  l)iec('S,"  or  packs  of  ^I'oods,  each  made  to  weii^h  loo  |)oun(ls,  were  beinn'  "  portaged  " 
1)\  the  rovcri^'c/trs  to  t\iv.  water's  eil^'e  b\'  means  of  their  pack-slra])s,  tump-lines,  or 
slinks  of  stout  leather  passeil  over  the  forehead.  The  !.^uide  or  steersman,  who  is 
L;i\inL;  each  man  a  "hand  up"  with  his  bundU;,  is  an  important  persona!.;('  on  these 
\-oyaL;x's.  (  )n  this  occasion  he  is  accompanieil  by  his  scpiaw,  who  is  patientl)'  waiting 
witli  her  papoose  sIuul;-  on  her  back  in  its  Indian  cradle-  a  contri\ance  admirabK 
adapted   to   the   reiiuiremenls  of   her   ro\ini_;'   life. 

Oil  our  return  to  the  "C'oKile"  \\r.  founil  the  captain  nearly  read)  to  start  for 
the  outlet  of  Lake  WinnipcL;-,  which  lies  on  the  opposite  or  north-east  side.  Soon 
alter  leaving'  the  mouth  of  the  Saskatchewan,  we  encounttn'ed  a  sti-oiii^  brec'/e  from  the 
north-east  or  tlirectl\  ahead.  In  an  increilibly  short  space  of  time,  the  hitherto  placid 
surface  of  the  water  was  thrown  into  ^reat  swells  and  the  spra\'  was  thinu-  cncr  the 
stciamer's  dc'ck.  The  staunch  "C'oKile"  hi;a\etl  ami  pinniped  in  a  manner  we  little 
expt;cte<l  to  e\peri(Mic(t.  We  were,  in  fact,  realizing-  what  we  had  oft(;n  heard  of — a 
storm  on  l,ak<;  Winnipeg'.  I'ortunatelv  the  breeze;  subsided  as  rajiidl)'  as  it  had 
sprung'  up,  and  at  daylioht  next  mornin!,;  we  found  ourselves  moored,  with  bows  up 
stream,  at  the  woodiiii;  staj^x;  of  W  arren's  Landing',  on  ihr.  western  side  of  the  outlet. 
Here  the  snoods  for  Norway  Mouse,  one  of  the  principal  posts  of  the  Iludson's  Ha\' 
C()mi)an\,  about  twentx'  miles  tlown  the  Nelson  Ri\er,  are  discharged  and  placed  in  a 
store-house  near  the;  beach.  Meantime,  canoes  and  "  ^'ork  boats"  are  constantly  arri\- 
in;^-  from  the  post,  the  steamer  having  been  expecteil.  One  of  the  latter,  bearing 
a  great  white  llag  with  the  arms  and  motto  { />r(>  pcllc  cittcni)  ot  the  Hudson's  Hay 
Compam,  brings  the  factor  in  charge!  of  the  tlistrict.  About  forty  tine-looking 
Indians  are  now  on  hantl.  and  as  soon  as  the  last  bale  of  goods  has  been  rolled 
into  tht>  store-house,  the}'  set  to  work  with  a  will  to  carry  cordwood  for  the  return 
trip,  on  board  tin;  "  Colvile,"  from  a  long  pile  stantling  a  short  distance  from 
high  water  mark.  The  utmost  good  nature  prcivails.  and  (;very  man  vies  with  the 
others  in  running  to  the  pile  and  hurr\ing  back  to  tlu;  steamer  with  as  man}'  sticks 
on  his  should(;r  as  he  can  get  his  arm  to  su|jport.  TIk;  steamer  is  wooded  in  an 
astonishingl)'  short  time  ;  the  lines  are  thrown  off,  and  we  wave  a  farewell  to  the  cap- 
tain   as    the    "CoKile"    steams    out    into    the    lake    with    her    head    towards     the    south. 


.\ V )A' Tlfl-RX  M-.ICIIiniR 


225 


O 


in 

0. 

0. 

< 


< 

H 

Y. 


226 


OUR  PICrrRRSQUF 


Warren's  Landing  is  named  after  a  former  chief  factor  of  the  Compaiu',  who  hes 
buried  a  short  distance  l)ehind   th(.'  store-lioiise. 

The  factor,  hein^-  ahout  to  return  iionie,  kindl\'  jj^ave  ns  a  passa^^e  to  Norway 
House.  I  lis  crew  ro\v(Hl  for  a  short  (Hstance,  with  tiieir  i^reat  sweeps,  wlien  a 
southerly  wiml  sprung  u|),  and  the)-  lioisteil  the  picturesipie  scpiari'-sail  of  the  hoat 
hij^h  above  our  h<'ads,  like  a  banner,  on  the  single  roUL;h  mast,  and  we.  were  soon 
niakins^  good  time  throuj^h  (ireat  i'hu^reen  Laki-  and  down  oni;  of  the  narrow  chan- 
nels of  the  river.  Just  Ix^fore  this  channel  opens  into  Litth;  IMaxj^reen  Lake,  we  came 
in  sight  of  the  white  houses  and  palisatles  of  Xorwax  Mouse.  A  number  of  Indian 
boys,  rimning  antl  shouting  on  the  bank,  soon  communicated  the  nt'ws  of  our  approach, 
antl  in  a  few  minutes  we  sau'  a  man  hurrying  to  tlu;  tlagstaff  to  hoist  the  red  ensign 
in  honour  of  our  arri\al.  We  had  not  beiMi  long  on  shore;  befon;  tlu;  six  o'clock  bell 
rang,  and  we  were  summoned  to  tea  in  the  mi;ss-r()om  with  the  clerks  and  the  (jfticer 
in  charge.  The  long  siunmer  evening  of  a  northern  latitude  proved  very  enjoyable, 
and  aft(;r  tea  we  walked  thrinigh  the  grove  of  Banksian  pinl^s  on  the  north  side  of  the 
post,   and  sketched   the  accompanying  \iew  across   Little   Playgreen    Lake. 

Let  us  now  glance  at  t.ie  leading  features  of  the  water-way  which  we  have 
commenced  to  descend.  The  Nelson  is  oni;  of  the  great  rivers  of  the  world.  With  a 
drainage  area  more  extensive  than  that  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  it  has  a  volume  of  water 
equal  to  at  least  four  times  that  of  the  Ottawa.  Taking  a  \ery  general  view  of  this 
vast  stream,  its  course  is  a  little  east  of  north  f(n"  iSo  miles  from  the  outlet  of  Lake 
Winnipeg  to  Split  Lake,  or  the  first  half  of  its  entire  length.  Another  stretch  of  i(So 
miles,  bearing  a  littU;  north  of  east,  brings  us  to  the  open  sea  at  the  extremity  of 
Beacon  Point  ;  the  whole  length  of  the  river,  measuretl  in  this  way,  being  only  360 
miles.  In  the  upper  part  of  its  course,  the  Nelson  does  not  flow  in  a  well-defined 
valley.  Vox  the  first  huntlred  miles,  it  straggles  in  a  net-work  of  channels  over  a  con- 
siderable breadth  of  the  general  slope  towards  Hudson's  Bay,  of  which  the  whole 
country  partakes.  At  the  start,  it  leaves  Cireat  Phugreen  Lake  by  two  streams  of 
almost  equal  size,  which  enclose  Ross'  Islam!,  and  by  numerous  smaller  channels. 
Ross'  Island  is  fifty  miles  long  by  twenty  wide.  On  the  west  side  of  this  island, 
fifty  miles  below  Lake  Winnipeg,  the  first  rapid  occurs.  On  the  east  side,  thirty- 
seven  miles  down,  are  the  Sea  River  Falls.  The  next  sixty  miles  of  the  divided  river 
is  broken  by  rapids,  chutes  and  falls,  occurring  at  different  distances  down  the  \arious 
channels.  At  the  end  of  these  sixty  miles  of  broken  water,  we  come  to  a  part  of  the 
river  which,  for  163  miles,  might  be  navigated  from  end  to  end  by  steamers,  were  it 
not  for  a  chute  with  a  fall  of  about  fifteen  feet,  which  occurs  about  midway  down. 
Sipi-wesk,  Split,  and  Gull  Lakes  form  part  of  this  stretch.  The  first  of  these  lakes 
is  famous  for  its  sturgeon  fisheries.  Fragments  of  the  characteristic  pottery  of  pre- 
historic  Indians  are  found   at  the    old  camping  grounds  of    this  retreat,   which    is   almost 


NOR  TlfF.RN  NEICimOR 


22-J 


SI:A     RIVIOK     KALLb,     Ni;i.SON     KIVEK. 


undisturbed  even  by  the  red  man  of  the  present  da)-.  As  we  pass  thr()UL,di  the 
"  F"lo\vinuf  Lake,"  on  a  bahnv  afternoon  in  the  autumn,  the  dark  backL-round  of  the 
spruc(!  forest  is  enlivened  here  and  there  I)y  the  white  \viL,f\vanis  of  the  modern  lords 
of  the  countr)-,  and  occasionally  we  catch  a  L^limpse  of  a  canoe  i^lidino-  amon^'  th(? 
numerous  islaiuls,  and  dimly  seen  throujrh  the  blue  ha/e  of  the  Indian  summer.  On 
passing-  a  point,  thirtetMi  miles  below  Sipi-wesk  Lake,  our  attention  is  suddenly  arreste-d 
by  the  beautiful  Wa-sitch-e-wan  or  White  I'alls,  which  is  fcu'med  by  a  br(Jok  spouting 
over   the   hij^h,    rocky   bank  of    the   ri\-er,   on    the   ri^ht-hand   side. 

At  the  foot  of  (iuU  Lake;  we  enter  upon  a  second  inter\al  of  broken  waters, 
which,  like  the  first,  is  also  si.xty  miles  in  length,  terminatint;  with  the  Limestone 
Rapids,  where  the  ri\er  pours  o\'er  some  ledges  of  fossiliferous  Silurian  rocks,  the  first 
met  with  in  approaching  Hudson's  Hay.  Leaving  the  foot  of  these  rapids,  the  ri\er 
flows  on  to  the  sea  at  the  rate  of  about  threi;  miles  an  hour,  between  steep  banks  of 
clay,  often  one  hundred  feet  and  upwards  in  height.  K.xcept  for  a  mile  or  two  b(;low  the 
rapids,  the  channel  has  about  twenty  feet  of  water  all  the  way  to  the  head  of  tide, 
sixty  miles  farther   down.       We   now  enter    the  estuary,  which    runs    straight    north-east. 


228 


0('/<    /'/L  /C'A'/:S(J17: 


WA-SITCH-E-WAN     FALLS. 


and  have  a  clear  view  of  the  sea  befon;  us.  l^assin^-  (.lown  the  frith,  the  hind  he- 
comes  lower  and  lower  on  both  sides,  till  it  merges  with  the  hiLi'ii  water  level,  the 
shore-line    on     the    left    at    the    same    time     trendin^r    to     the     northward,     and    that    on 


.\(  Vv'  /  ///:  AW  xnnuinoR 


2  JO 


on    the    nf)rth-\V('st 


tlic    n^lit    tcrniin;itmL;    in    a 

loii^',     narniw     lonj^iic     l)c- 

twt'cii   tlic     Nelson   and    llu; 

Hayes    Rivers.       Looking    rouml    this     point,    \\r.    see    N'ork     l\i(lor\' 

bank    ol     the     hitter     ri\cr,     six     niih's     up. 

The  trip  \V(;  have  just  eoniph-ted  is  the  first  journey  whitli  has  been  made  ih)\vn 
tin;  wliole  leiiLi'th  of  the  \\;lsf)n  River  for  nian\'  \cars,  for  this  stream,  although  appar- 
entl)'  the  natural  I'oute,  has  been  loni,;  abandoned  b_\-  .■7Mvc;'(7//-,v,  on  account  ot  the 
ditticulties  in  the  two  broken  stretches  of  si\t\  miles  each,  which  have  just  been  reb'rred 
to.  Another  and  better  route,  Ivin^'  to  the  southward,  is  now  adopted.  lieton.' 
ij^lancin^-  at  it,  K-t  us  return  to  .Split  l.ake  and  take  a  run  theiH(.'  to  old  I'Orl  Prince 
of  Wales,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Churtdiill  Ri\'er,  about  one  hundn  d  miles  to  the  north- 
ward of  \'ork  I'\'ictor\'.  Leaxin^  .Split  Lake,  we  travel  northward  by  a  chain  of  ponds, 
with  |)()rtan('s  between,  and  at  the  i-nd  of  twt:nl\'  miles  we  reach  a  considerable  sheet 
of  water  al  the  heatl  of  the;  Little  Churchill  Riv(.'r.  P'ollowin^-  this  stream  for  ninety 
miles,  in  a  north-easti-rl)-  course,  we  fall  into  th(;  Great  Churchill,  a  splendid  river, 
iarsj^'iir  than  the  Rhine,  and  with  water  as  clear  as  that  of  the  .St.  Lawrence.  it  rises 
near  the  Rock\-  .Mountains,  betwc'cn  the  .\thabaska  and  .Saskatchewan  Rivers.  I'or 
tlu;  t^reater  part  of  its  course;  it  consists  of  a  loni;-  chain  of  lakes,  connected  bv  ver)' 
.short  links  of  river,  i^renerallv  fidl  of  rapids,  falls  and  chutes.  iietween  the  Xelson 
River  and  the  Churchill,  above  the  point  at  which  the  laltt'r  is  joined  by  the  Litth; 
Churchill,  the  country  is  ver\-  thickly  interspersi-d  with  lakes  :  indeetl,  tlu;  area  of  water 
appears  to  be  at   least  ecpial   to   that  of  land. 

On  arriving  at   the  Great   Churchill,   we    tiu'n    down    stream,   and    at   the    end   of    105 


230 


OC'R   PICTURESQUE 


miles,  in  a  north-easterly  course,  reach  tlic  sea.  Like  the  lower  Nelson,  tlie  Churchill 
flows  between  steep  alluvial  hanks,  but  horizontal  beds  of  limestone  sometimes  crop  out 
and  form  long  perpendicular  cliffs  beneath  the  clay.  Notwithstaiulins^  its  laroe  volume, 
the  Churchill,  owing  to  its  rapid  character,  is  not  navigable  above  the  heail  of  tide 
water,   which   is  only  eight   miU^s  up  from  the  sea. 

lust  inside  of  the  mouth  of  the  Churcliill  is  a  splendid  harbour,  the  only  good 
one  known  on  the  western  side  of  Hudson's  Haw  It  is  well  sheltfM-ed  by  a  rocky 
ridge,  and  is  entered  directly  from  the  open  sea  l)y  a  short,  deep  channel,  less  than 
half  a   mile   in   width.      Within,  the   largest  ships  ma\'  lie  afloat  at  low  tide.       The  western 

point,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  rivtM',  projects 
be\  ond  the  eastern  ; 


and  here,  on  a  position 
which  appears  as  if  designed 
b\  nature  to  command  the; 
entrance  to  the  harbour, 
stands  cjld  I'orl  Prince  of 
Wales,  one  of  the  larg(;st 
militar\'   ruins  oiv  the  continent.      More  than   one  hundred    \-ears  ago,   this  fort,    mountmg 


NORTHERN  NE/GI/BOR 


•-^^i 


forty  lar<re  guns,  was  a  -reat  depot  of  the  Hudson's  Hay  Company.  To-day  it  is  the 
picture  of  loneliness  and  desolation;  but  Churchill,  owing  to  its  line  harbour,  may 
become  the  principal  s..ap„rt  of  the-  North-west  T(>rritories.  should  the  projected  rail- 
way be  built  from  the  interior.  The  walls  of  Fort  Prince  of  Wales  have  a  height  of 
about  twent)-  feet,  and  are  faced  with  massive  blocks  of  cut  stone,  obtained  close  at 
hand.  The  place  was  destroyed  by  the  I<rench  Admiral,  Lal'erouse,  in  1782.  but  at 
the  close  of  the  war  the  British  Government  compelled  the  I-rench  to  indemnify  the 
Hudson's    Hay  Company  for    the    loss  which  they  had  suffered. 

It  is  again   necessary    to    point    out    that,   although    for   good    reasons,    we    travelled 
from    Norway   House   to   York    P^actory  by  the   Nelson    River,   the  boats  of  the   Hudson's 
Hay    Company    have    used,    for     many  years,    what    may    be    termed    the    Oxford    House 
route.      -X-oyaging"    to   \ork   by  Oxford     House,   the   Nelson    is    left    a  iv^x  miles    below 
Sea   River   brails.      We  turn,   then,   into  a  small    sluggish  stream  on    the   right,   known  as 
the    Hchimamish     or  Water-shed    Hrook.      After    going    some    miles    up.   we    come    to    a 
rude  dam   about  a  foot  high,   made  by  boulders   laid    upon   spruce    tops.      This  has  been 
thrown   across   the   stream    for    the  purpose    of    deepening    the  water    at    a    slight    rapid 
Our    men    soon    make  a    breach    in   the    dam,  and  before  the  water  above   has\a.l   time 
to   be  perceptibly   lowered,   they  haul  our  York   boat  through.       This  process    is  repeated 
at  a  second    of    these    primitive    locks    a    short    distance    on.       Twentv-eight    miles    ,-ast 
of    the    point    at  which  we    left    the    Nelson,    om-    dead-water    brook,   which    has    assmned 
the    character    of    a    long    narrow  pond,  comes  to  a  sudden    termination.      We    haul    the 
boat  across  a  low  ledge  of    rock,   twent)-eight    yards  wide,   which    is    the    height    of    land 
here,   and  launch   her  into  the  head  of    a  narrow  clear-water  channel  on    the    other  sid-. 
This   is  the  commencement  of   the    rivers  which  we  shall   now  descend    to   W.rk    l<\ictory 
and   our  guide  informs  us    that  w<.-    shall    have    to    haul    our    boats    across  drv   land  oniv- 
twice   more.       The  low   narrow  ledge  we    have    just   crossed   is  called    the    Fainted    Stone. 
Dr.    Hell   names  the    stream   we  have    entered    upon,    bVanklin's    River,   after  the    late    Sir 
John     iM-anklin.    who.   when    on    his    boat    voyage    of     1819.   had    a    narrow    escape    from 
drowning    in    its  waters    near    this    very  spot.      Franklin's    River    is    about    tiftv   miles    in 
length,   an.l    falls    into  Oxford    Lake.       In    descending    it   we    run    many   tme    ntpids.   and 
sail    through    several    lakes    into    which    it    expands.       At    onc:-lhird    of     the    distance     to 
Oxlor.l    Fake  ^^v  encounter  the    Robinson    Portage,   the   most    formidable    obstacle  on   the 
route.      It    is,   however,   a  good   wide  road,    , ;, ,  5   yards  in   length,   which    has  bc-n   so  long 
in   use  that   it   is  entirely   free    from    stumps.       The  size    and   weight    of    our   In.at  appear 
to   be  altogether  bev  ond   the    strength    of    our   crew  of    ten    M)en,   jet    they  drag    her    on 
rollers  across  the   portag('  at   an   astonishing  rate. 

On  reaching  Oxford  Fake,  twenty-live  nules  in  length,  we  were  favoured  bv  a  line 
wind,  and  in  a  few  hours  come  in  sight  of  Oxford  House-,  conspicuously  built  on  a 
hill   at  the  eastern  extremity  and  commanding  a  line  view   up  the-  lake.       The    slopes    of 


2^2 


OCR   riLTl'RliSQUE 


'.^^.-^y--^ 

"t  ".■-* 

^^^^: 

-!^ 

B^.- 

:M 

^^•BC 

y-  ^.      .-_        ' 

'A  ■■' 

Sfci/* .  i. 

SCtNKS     ALONG      THK     NKI.SCJ.N     RIVKk. 


NORT/fERy  NEiGirnoR  -:,:, 

the  hill,  and  also  the  flat  groiincl  between  it  and  the  lake,  were  dotted  with  the  tents 
and  witj^wams  of  the  Indians  who  had  come  to  tratle,  and  who  were  now  enjo\int;  their 
summer  loafinq;  season.  Scores  of  small  hark  canoes,  most  of  them  turned  upside 
down,   were  l>in,<^  aloni^  the  beach,   and   everything'  betokened   peace  and   iillcMiess. 

We  were  hospitably  entertained  b)-  tlu-  ^cnlleman  in  charsj^e  of  the  post,  and  next 
morninjj;  rt!sumed  our  journey.  In  descendinsj;^  Trout  River,  which  tlischarges  Oxford 
into  Knee  Lake,  progress  is  interruplt'd  by  Trout  balls,  a  perpendicular  chute.  It  re- 
quires but  a  short  time,  however,  to  dra<^  our  boat  o\er  the  portage,  as  it  is  only 
twenty-four  yards  lonj^.  Here,  we  met  a  part)'  of  men  cominj^'  up  the  ri\er  with  the 
small   York  boat  elsewhere  represented   in  our  sketch. 

Knee  Lake,  so  called  from  a  bentl  about  the  middle  of  its  course  of  forty  niiles, 
is  studded  with  a  great  number  of  islands.  It  discharges  b\'  the  Jack  River,  another 
rapid  stream,  into  Swamp)'  Lake,  the  last  on  our  route.  Leaving  this  lake,  we  (Miter 
Hill  River,  which  for  twiMity  miles  spreads  out  widely  between  low  banks  and  flows 
with  a  strong  currt'Ut  through  a  curious  lab)'rinth  of  hundreds  of  small  islands,  all  of 
them  well  wooded.  As  we  are  carried  rapidh'  along,  winding  in  and  out  among  the 
lanes  of  edil)  ing  watc'r  'w  and  beautiful  vistas  open  out  to  th(?  right  and  left  at 
every  turn.  Looking  tlown  one  of  the  nunierous  a\'enues  among  the  varying  banks  of 
foliage,  as  we  approach  the  lower  end  of  the  archipelago,  a  nt;w  feature  in  the  laiul- 
scape  comes  all  at  once  into  view,  in  the  shape  of  a  single  conical  hill,  risiiig 
appareiitly  out  of  a  great  depression  ahead  of  us.  Its  distance  is  just  sufficient  to 
invest  it  with  a  j)leasing'  tint  of  blue.  The  nox'elt)'  of  the  sight  in  this  too  level 
country  is  positivel)'  refreshing,  and  our  nien.  as  if  pronipted  In'  a  ct)mnion  impulse  ol 
delight,  spring  lO  their  feet  anil  give  a  hearty  cheer.  The  ri\i,'r,  which  takes  its  name 
from  this  hill,  now  descends  ra|)idlv,  and  there  is  great  excitement  in  running  the 
numerous  ami  formidable-looking  chutes  ;  but  our  crew  know  every  turn,  and  we 
pass  theni  all  in  safet)'.  W'e  soon  come  opposite  the  high  cone,  and,  landing,  walk 
to  the  su.mmit,  which  proves,  by  the  aneroid  barometer,  to  be  392  feet  aboxe  the 
water.  T'rom  the  top  of  this  singular  pile  of  earth,  known  as  Hrassy  Hill,  an  unbroken 
view  of  the  level-wood(>d  countr)',  spreatling  out  like  the  ocean,  on  all  sides,  is  obtained. 
About  twenty  shining  lakes  of  \arious  sizes  break  the  monotou)'  of  the  dark  sj^ruce 
forest ;  while  our  river,  hidd(;n  here  and  there  by  its  own  banks,  winds,  like  a  siher)' 
thread,  awa)-  off  to  tlu'   horizon. 

We  pass  the  last  chute  ;it  a  place  called  'The  Rock,  a  short  distance  farther  on, 
but  still  about  140  miles  from  ^'ork  T^ictor)',  Henceforward,  we  are  borne  aloiig  b)'  a 
swift  unbroken  current,  between  b;ud<s  of  chu',  all  the  way  to  the  head  of  tide-water. 
Eight)'  miles  l)efore  reaching  \'ork,  the  Hill  River  is  jointul  on  the  left  b)'  th(;  T'ox 
River,  and  the  united  stream  becomes  tlie  .Steel  River.  Thirt)'  miles  on,  the  Shaw- 
mattawa  falls  in   oi\  the  right,  and,  we  iiave  jiow  the,   Ha\'es'    Ri\er  for  the  remainder  of 


234 


OUR   PICTURESQUE 


ON     THK     GREAT     AM)     MTTLK     t  lU'KCHII.r.     KIVl.KS. 


KORTITERN  NEIGfrnOR 
and  as  we  walk  a,,  f,.„,„  ,|„  |,„,|i„.  ,„  ,,„  ,„^|.^„^  ^^„,,„,^  ^^^^  ^^.^^^^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^^^ 
place  c„,,„o,,at.  on  ,l,e  bank  .„  have  a  look  a.  us.  Ti.is  old  establishment  is  of 
rectan.Mda,-  forn,,  sun-oundcd  by  high  palisades,  with  a  lar^e  store-house  or  factory  in 
.1.-  centre,  and  streets  of  wooden  b„ildin.t;s  on  three  sides.  The  mission  charch 
stan<ls  outsRle,   a  short  distance  to  the  north, 

nefore  the  enorn.ons  re,,io„   between    H„dson's   Ha,,  and   the   Rocky   Motnuains  was 

approaehe.1   front    the  s„„th    ,y    stean.boats    and    railways,   ^ork    factory  was  the  .lepot 

or    rece,vi,,,    th.     f,n-s  fron,    the    interior    and  sentling    inlanti   the    ,.,o.ls   which    arrived 

by  the    sh.ps    fron,    linslan.l.       The    fine    fnrs  annually  collected   here    fron,    all  „uar„.rs 

often   represented   ntillions  of   dollars    in    value,       1,    is  , ularly    supposed    that  the  fur- 

beam,,,  anhnals  of  these   regions  a,-e  easily  trapped.      There  could  scarceh-  be  a  .o-eater 
m-.ake.      The  life  of  the    Indian   fur  hunter  is  really  a    ,uost  arduous  one!      Our  pietu,-e 
represents    a    group    of  these    ha,-dy    fellows    t,-an,ping   on   their  snowshoes   to  a    h.uttin- 
ground     where   they  expect    better  luck    than    they   had    at    ,heir  last    ea„,p.       The    packs 
they    carry    contain    their    clothing    and    blankets,    an,n„u,ition,   sou,e    n,eat    and    perhaps 
a    bttle  tea  and   tobacco.       The    toboggan,   haule.l    in    turn    by  each,    has  stowed   „,,„,,   it 
t    e,r    kettles,   traps  and   the   peltries  .so   far  secu,.ed.        They   have   left   their  last    ca„,piu„ 
place    e,arl3-    ,n    the    bitterl,-    cold    n,orniug    and    affr  a    heavy    ,uarch    of    about    twen,; 
nnlcs.    through   the  dreary  wootls,   the    tl,er„,on,eter    far    below   .ero    and   the  snow    oft.u', 
dr,t„,g  ,n   their  faces,  they  will   scoop  out  a  hole  with   their  snowshoes  and   can,p  for  the 
n..gd,.,      Hav.ng  arrived    at  the  proposed   hunting-ground,   they   build  a  wigwau,  :,ud   next 
da>-  begu,   to  ,„ark  out    by  •■  blading"  (or  clipping  the    fees  here  and  there)   lon„    trails 
or  ■•  n,art,nh„es,"    near  which    they   set  their  "dead-falls"   and    steel    trap.s.      The'^  lii.es 
■nake  groat  sweeps,   often   two  or  three  days'  travel  i„   length,   starting  out   in    one  direc 
..on   and  con„ng  back    to  ca„,p  by    another.     The    trapper    walks    round    his   line   ever,- 
few  days  to  secure   the    ntartens.    „,inks,    fishers,    etc,   which    have    been    caught,  and    t., 
see  tat    the    dead-falls  are  all   properly  set  and  baited.      This    work    is   varieti    now  and 
then   by    a   run  afte,-   deer,   or  tligging  out    a    hibernating  bear  or  a  fantib-  of    beaver,- 
the  last  nrentioned    being    a    dilileult    undertaking  and    none    too   well    rewarded    bv  the 
value  of  tlic  ..riimals  captured. 

A.  the  time  of  o„r  arrival  at  York  Factory  the  annual  ship  fron,  Kugland  w.as 
anx.ously  expected,  and  a  few  days  afterwards  she  was  sighted  in  the  o,h„,.:  .-V  pilot 
was  sen,  out.  who  brought  her  into  th,-  river  at  the  nex,  ti.le  and  anchor,.!  her 
oppos,te   the    Factory.      This   was    the  event   of    the    year.      The    verv  sight    of    the    ship 

as   she   plouge,!   her  way   udly    up    the    riv.-r    with   her   white   sails    swelling    before   a 

hgh.      ree.e   from   the   north,    brought    ,0   the   ntinds  of  the    ICnglish   and   Scotch    exiles   of 

York    ,.,actory    nrany    thoughts  „f   luune  and ury.      .A    salute   is   hre.l   fron,   the   battery 

on     the    ban     an      answered   f.-ou,    the    ship,  just     before    she    drops    her  anchor.      In    a 
short  .tune    the  whole    available    population    sets    to    work   to  unload    the    vessel      This 


2^6 


OUR    riCTURIiSOUE 


clone,  at  the  top  of  lii,Ljh  water  of  tlie  next  tide  she  weifjhs  anchor,  and  moves  out  to 
sea.  homeward  hound.  As  she  sails  away,  her  diminishin;^-  form  i  watched  hj-  many 
e\es.  and  when  she  vanishes  out  of  si^^ht.  all  the  people  of  \'ork  resign  themselves  to 
the  loni;'  winter  soon  to  close  in  upon  ihiMii.  On  an  average  voNaj^e,  the  ship  crosses 
the  l)a\'  and  clears  Hudson's  Straits  in  ahout  a  week.  In  a  fortnijj^ht  more  she  is  off 
the  Land's  End,  and  inside  of  anoth(;r  week  she  re|)orts  herself  in  London.  The 
voyaj^es  of  the  llutlson's  IJa)'  Compan\'s  ships  have  been  nuule  with  regularity  for 
more  than  one  hundred  years,  and  the  da\-  may  not  be  far  distant  when  a  i^reat  part 
of  the  trade  of  the  Xorth-west  shall  tind  its  outlet  by  this  route.  York  l*"actor\'  and 
the  fine  harbour  of  Churchill,  ahhou^h  in  the  very  centre  of  the  continent,  are  as  n(;ar 
Liv(.'rpool  as  is  .Montreal :  while  the\'  an?  at  the  same  time  within  a  moderate  distance 
of  the  c'ontmes  of  the  almost  boiuidless  agricultural  reuions  of  the  oreat  Canadian 
Nortii-wesl. 


VORK     lACTOKV   -AklJIVAI,     Ol      HUIXSON'S     HAV     CO.MI'AWS     SHIP. 


. \  -OR  TIIIIRX  NFJGirnOR  2  :,  7 

thence  to  the  thrivinj^f  Indian  settlcnK-nt  of  St.  Peter's,  throuj^h  some  of  the  most 
beautiful  scenery  in  the  North-wc-st.  Witliont  .L^oini,^  much  fartiier  from  his  base,  he 
can  visit  the  Icehmdic  and  the  Nb'iinonite  setth-ment,  two  ancient  comnumitit.'s  which, 
starting'  from  the  opposite  ends  of  luirope,  have  sou_(,du  and  found  homes  for  them- 
selves in  tlu'  heart  of  Canada.  The  prairie  is  seen  at  its  best,  and  enjo\ed  most,  on 
the  back  of  a  horst;  or  from  a  buckboard.  It  is  more  diversitied  and  broki'U  than 
appears  from  a  L^eneral  view.  The  lirst  impression  ot  monotoin-  soon  wears  away. 
And  if  the  tourist  has  a  ,L;un,  and  knows  how  to  use  it,  he  ma)  have  sport  to  his 
heart's  content.  Mallard,  teal,  spoonbill  and  other  species  of  duck,  three  or  four 
kinds  of  i^e-ese,  and  a  ilozen  \arieties  of  waders — snipe  and  curlew  predominatinir — are 
found  in  and  about  every  creek,  pond  and  lakt;.  I'rairic  chickens  are  omnipresent  in 
the  o|)en  ;  and  the  woockxl  districts  ha\e  the  partrids^e  anil  rabbit.  .Sanddiill  cranes, 
as  larLjc  as  turkeys,  and  almost  as  L;()od  eating',  are  plentiful,  Hut  the  s|H)rlsman  must 
now   \l^^^   farther  afield   for  elk,   d(;er,    Ix-ar  and   butlalo. 

The  prairie  stream  has  special  characteristics.  Mudd)'  at  hi,i:;h  water,  it  is  always 
clear  in  summer,  thou_L;h  unlike  the  brawling  mountain  torrent  or  the  brook  that 
ripples  over  a  pctbblv  bed:  in  spots  haunted  1)\'  wild  fowl;  antl  where  the  wood  has 
been  allow('d  to  j^row,  ami  shade  the  water  from  bank  to  bank,  it  has  bi'auties  all  its 
own.  rh('  loam  of  the  prairie  cuts  out  easil\-  when  called  on  by  running'  water.  A 
f(;w  plough-furrows  may  l)efore  a  year  become  a  stream  lifteen  or  twent\-  yartls  wide, 
'ihis,  joinetl  by  otlu;r  "  runs,"  and  fed  from  the  lower-lyin^'  lands,  becomes  in  the  ain)- 
season  a  wide  and  deep  creek.  Should  succeetlini^  \'ears  be  dr\',  veg(jtation  may  ^row 
on  the  baid<s  and  form  a  sod  so  touyh  that  the  process  of  erosion  is  stopped, 
()th(,'rwise,  it  may  540  on  to  an  extraordinary  degree.  Hence  the  ri\t;rs  are  yeneralh' 
very  wide  from  bank  to  bank,  and  e\(.r\'  \ear  the  smaller  streams  encroach  on  the 
prairie.  Old  settlers  say  that  seventy  years  ago.  the  Red  River  could  be  bridged  at 
an\'  jjoint  by  felling  a  tree  on  its  banks.  Now,  the  tallest  Douglas  pine  from  tlv 
I'acitic  Slope  would  fall  short.  All  along  the  banks  of  creeks  near  W'innipt^g,  buildings 
may  be  seen  undermined  by  erosion,  aiul  A.Mices  suspended  in  mitl-air.  Sometimes, 
a  stream  that  tlows  through  forest  within  well-defmed  banks  spreads  when  it  reaches 
the  open  and  becomes  a  dismal  swani]).  livery  stream  makes  its  wa\  through  the 
prairi(;  in  the  most  tortu(uis  way  imaginable.  Peninsulas  of  various  sizes  and  shapes 
are    formed,  and  occasionally  a  complete  circle  is   described. 

Pelts  ;unl  "bluffs"  of  wood  break  the  monotony  of  the  prairie  almost  e\erywhere 
in  Manit(jba  (;.xci;pt  on  the  Mennonile  Rt^serve.  This  great  treeless  expanse  was 
shunned  l)y  the  hrst  immigrants  into  the  province,  but  tlu;  Mennonites  have  proved  to 
them  their  mistake.  Starting  from  l'",merson,  \\\v.  "(iatitway  Cit\-,"  th('  traveller  does 
not  [)roceed  far  on  his  way  to  the  setting  sun  before  a  broad  level  prairie,  extending 
twenty-four  miles  to  the  north   and  thirty  to  the  west,  opens  out   bef(M-e    hiin.       This    is 


38 


OUR  picrrRHsocR 


The    North-west: 


THE    MENNONITES. 


kl'R  ionr- 
nc\'  to 
tlic  kcil  l\i\cr 
of  the  North 
h\  tlu-  oKl  roxaa^citr  route  Iroin 
Ottawa  by  tlu;  Xipissi^L,^  the  Sank  Ste. 
Marie  ami  Voxx.  William  showed  us  how- 
to  reach  the  Xorth-west,  across  Canadian  lands  and  waters;  and  our  e.xpetlition  troin 
Winnipeg,''  1)\'  N'ork  I'aclorv  to  l'Ji!j;^land  showctl  us  how  to  leave  it,  without  putlini^ 
foot  on  foreii^j-n  soil.  The  first  of  these;  two  routes  is  historically  Canadian  ;  the 
second,  historically  Eniflish.  The  first  will  soon  hi:  all-rail  ;  the  second  cwn  ne\er  he 
^•ood   for  more  than    four  or  five   months  of  the   \-ear. 

From  Winnipeg  as  a  startin<i;^-i)oinl,  the  artist  should  make  several  short  excur- 
sions, before  taking-  the  Ions;-  road  west  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  August  or  Sep- 
tember, when  moscjuitoes  cease  from  troubling,  one  can  most  pleasantly  get  acquainted 
with  the  picturesque  features  of  the  country,  ami  the  characteristics  of  its  conglomerate 
of  nationalities.      He    can    drive  down    the    river    to    the    Stone     Fort    and    Selkirk,   and 


NOR  Tlfl-RX   X/:/(;///n  Vv' 


239 


t:  '■■-■-. 


If 


•*-. 


■'^':■■^€r^^^Uk.:!ii^: 


240 


oi  R  riciLRiisorii 


ihc  Reserve,  ;i  heaiitifiil  stretcli  of  liirniiiiL;  l;iiul,  iml)n)keii  1)\-  ;i  siiitrlc  acre  that  is  not 
tirsl-chiss.  ( )tl(l-lookinM-,  old-fashioned  viUa^cs  now  dot  the  phiin  in  e\-ery  direction. 
One  strei-t  of  steep-rooled,  low-uaUed  houses,  with  an  oKl-country  air  of  perxachnt^ 
c|uiet  and  an  uniform  oldn-ountry  h)oi<  ahout  the  architecture,  descriix's  them  all. 
Tliere  are  about  eighty  ol  these  vilhi^es  in  the  Keserxc.  Tiie  farms  are  innocent 
aHke  of  ft:ni'(.'s  ami  ol  huildinjj^s.  i'"ach  \  illas^c  has  its  herdsman,  who  ofx's  out  dail\' 
with  the  cattle.  The  hushandmen  lixc  in  the  villai^cs,  suhmittinir  to  the  inconvenience 
of  distance  from  their  work,  in  order  the  better  to  preserve  tht.-ir  lani^uajj^'e,  religion  and 
customs,  and  enjo\'  the  pleasures  of  social  intercourse.  To  a  stranger  these  pleasures 
would  appear  not  to  be  xcry  i^rc^at.  "They  nexer  have  no  tea-meetin's  nor  dances," 
saiil  an  old  settliM',  of  a  rather  iliffenMit  nationalit)',  "and  when  the\-  ilrink,  every  man 
walks  up  to  the  bar  and  |)a\s  for  his  own  licpior.  The)'  ain't  no  t^ood  to  the  coun- 
tr\."  Xotwithslandinsj;'  this  patriarch's  \(;r\'  dccidetl  opinion,  the;  Mennonites  are  a 
ureat  s^ood  to  the  countr).  ThrittN  and  industrious  farmers,  the\-  have  alr(;ad\-  brought 
a  lar^c  acreai^f^e  under  culli\;ition  ;  peaceable  and  law-abitliiiL;'  citi/ens,  the)-  cost  the 
country  nolhiuL;  for  administration  of  justice,-.  .\y\\  disputes  that  arise  are  settled 
amoiii^st  ilu-mselves,  either  b\-  the  int(;r\-ention  of  friends,  or,  failiiii^'  that,  by  the  ailju- 
dication  ol  the  church.  This  adjutlication  takes  place  on  .Sunday,  after  [)ul)lic  worship. 
The  wom(,'n  and  children  ^o  home,  the  parties  and  their  witnesses  are  then  heard, 
the  bishop  |)residini|;',  and  the  conjrreo-ation  say  wliat  is  the  "  \-ery  ri^ht  and  justice  of 
tlu'  case."  The  bisho[)  has  jurisdiction  o\-er  the  whole  comnuinit)-,  is  elected  for  life, 
and  "preaches  round."  bLver\'  xillai^c  has  a  [)n;acher  of  its  own,  who  is  elected  for  life 
by  the  villaj^ers,  chosen  on  account  of  his  pious  lift;  and  j^ift  for  e.xhortiiiL;-.  lb;  receives 
no  salar\'.  ^^  The  sermons,  as  mi^ht  be  expected,  are  generally  practical,  and  as  the 
whoU;  dut_\'  of  man  is  quickl\-  exhausted  by  the  preaclu;r,  th(;re  is  fre(|uent  t;xchanL;inL;" 
of  pulpits  with  neighbourly  [)astors.  .All  the  pt;ople  attentl  church.  The  men  sit  on 
one  side  and  the  women  on  the  other.  X'isitins;-  preachers  are  placed  in  an  elevated 
pew  to  th(;  left  of  the  pulpit  ;  and  the  choir,  consisting;'  of  thret;  or  four  elderly 
men,  sit  in  a  similar  [)(;w  to  the  ri;^ht.  The  bisho[)  is  elected  from  amonjLj  the. 
preachers  ;  but  though  held  in  high  honour,  he,  too,  must  sup[)ort  himst;lf.  Xo 
emohunents  are  connected  with  the  office.  luich  \  illage  has  also  a  schoolmaster. 
This  functionary  is  appointed  without  regard  to  any  particular  gift  or  aptitude.  It  is 
enough  if  he  will  undertake  the  duty  for  a  trilling  remuneration.  Reading,  writing 
and  arithmetic  ar(;  the  only  subjects  he  is  allowed  to  teach.  Like  their  forefathers, 
the  M(;nnonites  regard  l(;arning  as  a  dangerous  thing,  and  not  lightly  will  the)'  sow 
its  seeds  among  the  )-oung.  Their  religion  has  shaped  their  history.  They  adhere 
tenaciousl)-  to  the;  same  doctrines  and  forms  of  worship  and  government  that  their 
Cierman  forefathers  gathered  in  the  sixteenth  century  from  the  Scriptures  and  good 
pious     Menno     .Simonis.        They     r(;ject    infant   baptism    and     refuse    to  take    an    oath   or 


NOR  TIIERN  NIUGlinOis 


241 


INTKKIOK     AM)     KXIKKIOR     OF     MKNNOMTK     CHL'KCH. 


hear  arms.  Compelled  to  k-axc  ("icnnaiiy  on  account  of  their  refusal  to  do  military 
service,  they  found  an  asylum  in  Russia.  No  better  illustration  of  the  helplessness 
and  immoiiilitx'  of  the  political  s\stem  of  the  L;reat  luiropean  Colossus  need  he 
desired  than  the  fact  that  the  Mennonites  heloni^ed  to  it  for  three  centuries  without 
heiuL;-  assimilated.  Under  the  administration  of  tlu!  late  Czar,  the  national  faith  that 
IkuI  been  so  loii^'  |)led<j;'ed  to  them  was  broken  and  their  immunil)'  from  militar\-  ser- 
vice withdrawn.  Obeyino'  conscience,  the\'  parted  with  houses  and  lands  tor  what  thev 
could  ^ct,  and  soul^Iu  new  honie-s  once;  more.  Their  rule  ai^ainst  lii^htini^  soon  broueht 
them  into  contempt  with  iIk;  earh'  sc;ttlers  in  Manitoba,  who  not  appreciating'  so  tame 
a  principle,  would  ever  and  anon  test  its  realit\-  by  dealing  out  kicks  and  thumps  to 
the    lon^-sufferiiiL^     Mennonitc^s.        I'nder    t^n-eat    provocation,    some    of    them    have    been 


242 


OUR  ricii'Ri'.sorh: 


INTKRIOR     ANMJ     KXTKRIOK     OF     MF.NNON'ITF.     nWFI.I.TNr,. 


. 


X()A'77//:a'.v  NF.rr.iinoR  343 

a  rule  the  Mfiinonitcs  ,irc  lioncst.  iiprii^ht  and  moral,  and  wen-  it  ncn  for  the 
tiltliinrss  ol  their  doiiK'stic  haliits  tiicy  \v<inld  Ix-  more  rcspcitcd  Ky  the  "white  men" 
of  the  loimtry  than  ihe\  an'.  Most  of  th(;ir  dwi'llin^fs  consist  of  a  tinilx-r  frame, 
huih  in  witli  hir^ff  snn-(h"ied  l)ri(I.s  of  earth  and  straw,  and  coxcred  \vitli  a  straw- 
thatche<i  roof.  'I'h<'  -roumi  is  their  lloor.  l''o\vls  .and  otiier  domestii'  animals  have 
tlu;  freedom  of  the  house.  .\t  me.ils  all  the  niemi)ers  of  the  lamil\  eat  out  of  f)ne 
hu'L^e  dish  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  taMi — a  custom  horrowed  iierhaps  Irom  .Scrip- 
ture, or  it  may  he  a  trace  of  communism.  The  men  !^fiierall\  are  slow  workers  and 
nio\c  ahout  with  i^real  deliheralion,  .\  lari.,re  share  ol  the  out-door  work  falls  to  the 
lot  of    the  women,   who   m.iy    he  seen   harrowint^    or    even    ploui^hinL,^  in   tlie  fields. 

Tile  Mennonites  came  to  Manitoba  in  1S76,  and  they  h;i\'e  ])rospered  e.xceedinjfjy. 
The\-  :il  once  accommodated  ihemseKes  to  the  climate  and  all  the  material  conditions 
that  they  found  in  ihe  new  world.  Their  relii^ious  faith,  social  cohesion  and  simple 
pit't)  make  them  excellent  pioneers.  A  hetler  substratum  for  character  couUl  not  be 
dc;sired,  .^wA  ihoui^h  at  present  sternly  intolerant  of  all  chani^c,  new  ideas  will  L;railu- 
all\'  dawn  upon  their  hori/on  ami  they  will  become  L;()od  Canadians.  Thcr)'  ha\(;  lonj^ 
been  accustomed  to  self-^overnnu'iil,  and  that  is  alwa\s  the  ri^lu  traininsj;'  for  free 
men.  I'iach  village  elects  two  masters  ;  a  herd  schult/  who  is  pathmaster  and  over- 
seer of  tin-  herders;  and  a  brontschult/,  who  looks  aflt-r  property  and  insurance. 
Every  villa>4er's  propc:rt)-  is  appraisetl,  anil  in  case;  of  lire,  the.  suffercT  L;ets  two- 
thirds  of  his  loss  mad(;  up  to  him  b\-  .i  ratable  assessment.  .\  Kaisi.'r  or  general 
business  maiiasj^er  of  the  community  is  elected  annuallw  I  le  and  the  villaLje  masters 
constitute  a  kind  of  municipal  council.  The)'  meet  e\cr\'  Salurda\'  aft(;rnoon  in  Reinland 
or    Windmill    \  illa<.;t!,  as  it    is    lh(;   "  Capital "    of    the  colony  and   has  the    largest  church. 

Alread)',  a  proL;ressive  class  is  arising;-  amoni:;  the  Mennonites  .\merican  and  Ca- 
nadian solvents  are  e\ideull\'  more  poiiMit  than  Russi.m.  Some  of  the  ^-ount^er  men 
wisli  ihal  lCn_L;lish  shouKl  be  taught  in  th(!  schools,  and  hold  other  heterodo.\  views 
ecpially  abiuninable  to  the  s(Miiors.  Some  of  the  Nouni;  women  havt;  seen  I'.merson, 
and  sii^di  for  the  dainty  bonnets  and  shapel\-  dresses  their  "white"  sisters:  wear. 
Hut  the  imn-chants  of  I'.merson  and  West  l,\-nn  have;  fi'w  oootl  wortls  to  say  for  the 
Mennonites.  And  traxcllers  who  have;  b(;en  in  their  villages  re[)ort  them  ihurlish  and 
unfricnidly,  as  well  as  dirty  in  their  housc^s  and  habits.  I'ut  let  them  have  reason  to 
think  their  visitor  friendly,  and  their  n^al  naturt;  counts  out.  Oats  arc;  brought  for  his 
horse,  and  a  cup  of  the  best  coffee;  to  be  had  in  the  province,  for  himself.  The 
coffee  is  ground  as  it  is  inu^iled.  in  a  bttK;  mill,  with  which,  ami  with  a  brass  or 
copper  kettle,  f;very  house;  is  supplied.  Pipes  are  also  brought  out,  for  all--bo)s  and 
men  —smoke.  A  lad  in  his  teens  may  be  s(,'en  tilially  supph  ing  his  aged  father 
with  a  light.  Is  it  at  all  wonderful  that  we  bid  tlu'm  a  friendh'  farewell,  ciuite  con- 
vinced  that   then;  are  worse    peo|)le    in    the    world    than    the    Mennonites? 


244 


OUR   PlCTURHSQlli 


The    North-west: 


WINNIPEG    TO    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


.\i;.\K    DkTACl".    I..\    I'UAIklK.  —""' 

"  I  ""O  .sumniariz(i  the  _L;i't'at  North- 
■*•  \V(?st  is  conft'ssfdly  difficult, 
altlKHii^'^h  Lord  I  )ufft'rin's  declaration 
that  it>  "  iiiimitahlc  diuuMisions  alike 
confi/iind  iiie  arithmetic  of  the  sur- 
veyor and  the  x-erification  of  the 
e.\plon,'r"    is    a  sli;j^htly    post-prandial 

way  of  sLatinL,'-  the  fact.  Perhaps  the  best  \va\'  to  i^dve  correct  impressions  to  an 
ordinary  reailer  is  to  take  him  on  an  expcHlition  from  Winnipt?;.;-  to  the  Rock\  Moun- 
tains. Havini^  ridden  across  seas  of  ^reen  for  tift\-  or  an  hundred  miles  at  a  stretch, 
swam    iniyhtv    ri\ers,    shot    <'ri//l\-   Ix-ars    untler    the    shadows    of    the    mountains    of    tlv 


CM)     CUt'KCII      M'AK      I  ANDINO. 


\ok'/'i//':rx  xiiic.iinoR  245 

setting  sun,  hunted  buffalo  with  tht*  I31ackfei;t  or  the  Mounted  Police,  i)rospected  for 
coal  or  timber  limits,  lost  his  way  on  an  alkaline  or  cactus  flat,  or  some  semi-desert 
treeless  expanse  where  no  siei^n  of  animal  life  breaks  tlu;  terrible  solitariness  from 
horizon  to  hori/on,  he  is  likely  to  return  home  a  wiser  man  as  re^^ards  the  extent, 
character  and  probable  destiny  of  the  North-west.  He  can  choose  one  of  three  routes 
for  his  expedition  :  either  by  steamer  down  Red  River  and  Lake  Winnipeg-  to  the 
rapids  of  (\\v.  Saskatchewan,  and  up  this  i^reat  river  from  that  point  to  I'ort  lulmon- 
ton  ;  or  b\-  the  Canadian  Pacific  Raihvaj'  due  west  as  far  as  it  \\'\\\  take  him  :  or  by 
the  old-fashioned  methods  of  prairie  locomotion,  horseback,  a  1?(\1  River  cart,  or  a 
buckboard,  aloni;'  tlu;  trail  north-wi^slerly  -  the  general  course  for  a  ^reat  part  of  the 
way  beint^  between  the  two  more  modern  rout(,'s.  IJefore  startinsj;,  a  brief  ilescription 
of  the  leaciino-  features  of  the  couiUr)-   ma)-   not   be  out  of  place. 

The  thousand  miles  of  alluxial  that  stretches  from  our  Rocky  Mountains  to  Lake 
VVinnipen'  and  Hudson's  l)a\-  slopes  downwards  to  the  east  and  the  north.  The  rivt;rs 
consequently  run  to  the  east  antl  north.  The  Red  Rixcr  I'lses  in  Minnesota,  and  cuts 
out  for  i>  ielf  a  tortuous,  evc'r-widenin;^  tn^nch  or  canal  thron^^h  the  prairie,  northerly 
to  Lake  Winnipei^'.  To  men  accustomed  to  sec;  ri\ers  nmnin^-  to  the  south,  tlu;  Red 
Rivt;r  always  seems  to  Ije  t^'oiuL;-  up-hill.  The  fountain-heads  of  the  two  Saskatchewans 
are  in  the  t^laciers  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  tlu;  accumulated  tribute  of  a  thousand 
streams  is  poured  by  tlu;ir  united  chann(;l  into  tlu;  sanu'  i^reat  reserxoir  of  Lake  W'in- 
nipesi^,  which  tlu;n  discharL,^es  itself  by  the  Nelson  into  Hudson's  Hay.  At  the  base  of 
the  mountain  chain  the  elevation  is  between  three  anil  four  thousantl  feet,  while  in  the 
Red  River  valley  it  is  only  about  se-ven  hundmd  feet  above  sea  le\el.  The  traveller 
from  Winnipen'  westward  is  thus  always  .^'oiniLi^  up-hill,  thou<>^h  he  is  cpiite  unconscious 
of  the  fact,  so  sj^radual  is  the  slope.  A  rise  of  nearly  thi'ee  thousanil  f(;et  is  spread 
over  a  thousantl  miles.  Captain  Palliser  pi)intetl  out  that  this  tj^reat  sloping;  plain  is 
divided  into  three  ilistinct  step[)es.  The  i'lrst  springs  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods, 
and  trending'  to  the  south-west,  crosses  the  Red  River  well  south  of  tlu;  l)oundar\-  line. 
Thence  it  extends  in  a  north-westerly  direction  under  the  nanu;s  of  Pembina  .MTunlain, 
the  sanil  tlun(;s  of  the  Assineboiiu',  the  Ridiuij^,  Duck,  Porcupine,  ;uul  Pas  Mountains, 
to  lU'ar  Cumb{;rland  I  louse,  on  tlu;  .Saskatchewan.  The  average  altitude  of  this  east- 
erly step|)i'  is  from  ei^ht  to  nine  hundred  feet.  It  inrlud(;s  the  \alle\'  or  plain  of  the 
\\vx\  River,  which,  though  low  antl  marshy  in  many  places,  especiall\-  in  the  neiLjhbour- 
hood  of  Lakes  ^L'lnitoba  and  \\'iniU'|)esfoosis,  has  everywhere  a  soil  of  inexhaustible 
fertility.  To  the  old  half-breed  farnu-r  the  marshes'  were  indispensable  as  "  hay-swamps ;" 
ami  liis  more  scienlitic  successors  tlo  iu)l  despise  them,  especialK'  in  dr\'  seasons,  .\fler 
crossinij  this  steppe,  aiul  ascending-  the  easti-rn  face  of  an\'  of  the  hills  or  "nu)untains" 
that  bounil  it  on  the  west,  the  traxcller  linds,  to  his  aslonishnu-nt,  that  "  tiie  mountain" 
has  disappeared,  aiul   that  he  staiuls  on  a  j)lain  almost    as  le\el  as  the  one    left    behind, 


246 


OUR  PICTURESQUE 


HANKS  01    1111.  Ki;i>  kivi:i' 


but   much   better  adapted  to  fanning 
purposes,  as  "  the  soil   is  wanner,  ilic 

surface  more  rolHny^.  and  therefon^  drier,  and  tlie  water  of  a  better  (piality  and  more 
plentiful  in  the  form  of  brooks."  This  second  steppe  extends  west  to  the  cotcaii  of  the 
Missouri,  thence-  northwartis  to  the  I''lbow  of  tht?  South  Saskatchewan,  on  to  the  lui^le 
Hills  near  Hattleford.  and  north-westwardl\-  to  Lac  La  Hiche.  Its  mean  altitude  is  about 
sixteiMi  huntlred  feet.  Th(;  southern  half  was  formerly  considered  to  be  semi-deserl.  on 
account  of  insuthci(Mit  rainfall,  while  the  northern  half,  swee])in^  up  to  and  round  the 
North  .Saskatchewan,  was  called  in  contradistinction  "  The  b'ertile  Belt  ";  but  it  is  now 
known  -chietl)-  from  the  explorations  of  I'rofessor  >Licoun.  the  Dominion  Botanist  — 
that  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  whole  of  this  vast  middle  plain  is  farming  laiul  of  the  very 
best  (|ualit)',  anil  that  tht:  averat^e  rainfall  is  (piile  sutticient  for  the  L^rowth  of  cereals. 
Indeed,   duriivj    the   last    few  vears  the    tide  of    immi<';ration   has   rolled   over  the   southern 


NORTHERhr  NFJOrmOR  .^^ 

in  prctei-encc    to    the    northern    half.   an<l    l)y  the    unanimous    consent    of   actual    settlers, 
the  country  is    pronounced   to   he    "the   -arden   of    the   Lord."      'j-his    fact   has  had   <,rreat 
influence    in    determinino-    the    location    of    the  Canadian    Pacific   Rail\va\.       When   it  was 
universally  believed   that  th(.  .irood   land  of    the   Nortli-west  was  pretty  much  confined  to 
the    \orth     -Saskatchewan,    the     encri,H-er-in-chief     xvx\    naturally    ran     tin-     line-     in     that 
direction    as    far    as    Edmonton  ;    all    the    more    because    it  was    known    that    the   Yellow 
Head -the    best    pass    throu-h    the    Rocky    Mountains -was    in    tlu-    same    latitude,    and 
that    the     far-reachino-     prairies    that    borcU^r    the     Peace    River    extended     away    to    the 
north.        Put    when,     in    consecpience     of    explorations     made     at    Mr.     I'leminn's     urocnt 
recpiest,     the     real    character    of     the     southern    country    alon^-    the    Ou'Appelle     bcx^■une 
known,    it   was   (nide-nt  that  a   more  direct   and  shorter  railway,    runnin-'  due  west,   would 
have   many  advantaoes,   ami   that   it   was   worth    while   to    try   to   force  a  way   throu-h   the 
Rockies  b>    the    Kickin-    Horse    or    some    other    Pass.       [he    third   prairie  steppe  extends 
to    the    Rocky    Mountains.      -This    section   is    more    broken    than    the    others,   and    larue 
tracts    are    better    suited    for    [jasturaoe    than    for    the    plou-h.        Salt    lakes    and    ponds, 
rolling-    hills,     alkaline     Hats,   deep    ra\ines.     called    coulees,    and    ri\crs    tlowin.g-     in     deep 
channels,   are    its    leadini,^    featurc-s."      Ranches  have  been    taken   up   here    by  enterprisinn- 
cattle-breeders   from   the  older  provinces.      Herds  of  the  best   brec^ds  are  already  roaminu- 
by    thousands    alono-    the    scores    of     streams    that    issue    from    the    flanks  of    the    moun- 
tains,   and   subsefiuently  unite    to    form    the  St.    Mary's,   the     How,    Pelly,  and   Red   Deer 
Rivers.       Exposures  of  coal   beds,  simply   immense  in   th.ickness  and   extent,   form  another 
marked  characteristic  of  this  third  stepi)e.     The  coal    crops    out    alon,L,r    the    river    banks 
from    near    the    boundary    line    to   the   Mackenzie   River,  and.   thou.<rh  cretaceous,   is  used 
lor  all   purposes  like  ordinary  coal. 

The  old-fashioned  way  of  crossin.o;  this  broken  billowy  sea  of  ,<rreen  and  oold  that 
slope's  upwards  from  Winnipe,!;  to  the  R()cki(>s  is  the  best  of  all  wa\s  for  a  holiday 
party.  The  outfit  need  not  be  extensive.  A  Red  River  cart  is  desirable,  a  primitive 
looking  affair,  not  an  ounce  of  iron  in  it.  and  tough  as  hickory.  Its  o-reat  broad 
wlu-els  bear  up  the  little  box  with  its  half  ton  of  stores  and  tent,  when  crossing- 
swamps  where  an  ordinary  cart  would  sink  to  the  hubs  or  perhaps  altogether  out  of 
sight.  An  Indian  or  half-breed  may  be  utilized  as  driver,  cook  and  guide.  You  jog 
along  on  horseback,  driving  before  you  two  or  three  ponies  as  relays.  x\o  need  to 
carry  oats.  The  nutritious  grasses  will  keep  your  horses  in  good  condition  for  weeks 
of  travel.  There  is  no  road  but  the  trail  Hard,  black  and  glittering  in  dry  weather, 
oidy  let  the  l(>ast  shower  fall,  and  the  black  loam  sticks  in  a  wonderful  way  to  the 
whei'ls  and  the  horses'  hoofs.  Tlu-  best  course  then  is  to  turn  aside  to  the  grass  on 
(•ither  hand,  and  make  a  new  trail  for  yourself,  and  pray  for  dr>-  weather.  A  furious 
storm  of  rain  or  perhaps  hail  will  come  with  little  notice,  accompanied  with  thundcM- 
and    lightning  al)solutel>- terrific    to    those    who   have    experienced   only   the  mild  electric 


24.S 


OCR   PICTURESOCE 


A     riONEER     STORK. 


(listurhaiicfs  of  tlic  eastern  proxinccs.  AI\va\s  start  bcfdre  sunrise  and  camp  before 
sunset,  and  look  out  for  a  site  near  ^(jod  wji.ter,  wootl  and  a  pleasant  prospect.  Many 
a    pleasant    canipin;.,^    ground    you    can    promise    yourself  !      Many  a    delightful  ride,   the 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR  249 

summer    and    aiitiimn    air    always    swcuit,    flowcr-sccntcd,    chari;t:(l    with    pulsostimulatiiitj^ 
electricity  !     Good  shooting'  and  L,''ood  appc'litcs  ^o  without   sayinj;'. 

Leavinj^  Wiiinipi'L;'  and  its  wondrous  bustle  ami  "booms"  behind,  tin;  first  objective 
point  is  Portai^x:  la  Prairie.  The  old  trail  kt-eps  near  the;  Assineboinc.  I'"ar  away 
stretches  the  level  prairie,  dotted  sometimes  with  islets  of  aspens,  sometimes  with 
huge  hay  stacks  and  the  houses  of  settlers.  \ot  onediundredth  part  ol  the  land  is 
under  the;  plough,  and  )'et  it  mis^ht  all  i)(;  Ix-arins^  the  best  of  wheat.  What  a  won- 
derful air  to  brc'athe  I  Pun,'  as  in  mid-winter,  soft  ami  sweet  as  from  a  bank  of 
flowers,  exhilaratinu'  as  llu;  breath  of  the  North  alwa\s  is.  Mis/her  than  excr  vou  have 
seen  it  before  and  \aster  is  the  great  over-arching  dome  of  deepest  blue,  llecked  with 
masses  of  cloud,  white  as  driven  snow.  Slowly  the  sun  goes  down,  the  last  rim  of 
the  orb  seen  as  from  a  ship's  deck  on  the  shoreless  ocean.  The  (\v\\  falls  hea\il\-. 
The  cooler  air  makes  blankets  welcome  overnight  (;ven  in  mid-summer,  and  ;i  cup  of 
hot  tea— nowhere  so  fragrant  as  on  the  prairies — equally  welcome  before  starting  again 
in  the  early  morning.  Portage  la  Prairie  is  one  of  the  placi:s  that  it  would  be  a  waste 
of  time  to  describe.  It  is  growing  like  Jonah's  gourd,  and  the  description  of  the  vil- 
lage of  to-day  would  be  unsuited  to  the  town  of  to-morrow  and  the  cit\-  of  next 
week.  When  the  municipal  ass(;ssm(!nt  incn'ases  titteen  hundred  per  cent,  in  a  single 
year,  Dominie  .Sampson's  "  I'rodigious  ! "  is  the  onl\'  language  that  does  justice  to  the 
occasion.  .Should  the  proposed  ship  canal  bi;tw(^en  Lak(;  Manitoba  and  the  Assine- 
bomc;  be  constructetl,  this  rate  of  progress  will  probably  be  continued  for  a  time  : 
and  as  then;  are  f)nl\  twent\-si.\  miles  of  low-lying  prairie  l)etween  the;  lake  and  the; 
ri\er,  such  a  canal  coultl  be  completed  without  difficulty.  The  "  Portage,"  as  the 
town  is  usually  called,  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Assineboinc.  Near 
by,  a  long,  narrow,  shallow,  ri;ed-fringed  lake  or  slough  indicates  an  old  channel  of 
the  ri\(;r.  This  slough — or,  to  use  the  vernacular  of  the  place,  "slew  '--is  a  favourite 
haunt  of  wild  duck,  and  the  rich  grass  on  the  plains  for  miles  rouml  swarms  with 
prairie  chicken.      It  is    a    xcritabU;   sportsman's  paradise. 

I'rom  Portage  la  Prairie  the  railway  keeps  due  west  up  the  Assineboine.  .\t 
Brandon,  where  tlu'  ri\cM'  turns  to  the  north,  the  railway  crosses  it  ami  holds  on  its 
W(;sterl\-  course.  At  the  Portage,  the  trail  strikes  somcnvhat  northerly  in  the  direction  of 
I'Ort  I'dlice.  f(.)rmerl\'  an  important  centre  of  the  Ilutlson's  liay  Compan\-.  In  a  more 
direct  northerly  line,  \alualjle  forest  extends  Irom  the  south  (:\\i\  of  Pake  Manitoba  by 
the  Rilling,  Duck  and  Porcupine  Mountains,  ami  thence  north-westwards  to  the  junc- 
tion of  the  North  and  South  Saskatchewan.  Petwt:en  the  Portage  ami  P'ort  I"lllice, 
the  land  has  been  homesteadeil  and  preempted  by  immigrants.  Towns  and  villages 
are  springing  up  in  ever\  direction,  and  \ast  breadths  of  fertile  land  which  had  lain 
unoccupied  for  centuries  are  being  broken  in  upon  by  th(;  plough.  I'he  Pioneer 
Store    is    the    best  point    of    vantage    from    which    to    study  the    iu:w    life    that    is    flow- 


?5o 


OUR   PILTL  KI'.SQUH 


ini;-  over  the  threat  lone  land  of  a 
ck'cack'  asj^o.  This  invaluable  depot, 
with  its  \aried  assortiiK-nt  of  hard- 
ware, utensils  antl  implements,  dry- 
goods,  groceries,  gunpowder,  (ish-hooks 
and  bibles,  is  always  on  the  fringe 
of  settlement.  It  cheers  the  advance 
of  civilization,  ami  is  the  base  of  all 
farther  operations. 

A  maiiniticent  view  of  the  country 
in  every  ilirection  opens  out  on  the 
edge  of  the  plateau,  overlooking  the  Assineboine,  over  against  l*"ort  I"lllice.  Miles  away 
from  us,  on  the  ()|)])osite  bank,  the;  wooden  buildings  of  tin;  k'ort  gleam  white  and 
shining  under  the  light  of  the  declining  sun.  A  long  train  of  freighters'  wagons  are 
on  their  wa\'  down  llu.-  broad  valley.  I^'ar  to  the  south  and  north  runs  the  river,  to 
all  appearance  still  as  broad  antl  deep  as  at    Winnipeg.       It    is    joined    here    from    the 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR  251 

west  by  the  Qu'Appelle,  which  is  seen  brcak.in(,r  throuo^h  the  plateau  behind  which 
the  sun  is  setting:.  The  united  river  ni(;anders  throuijh  the  intervale  at  our  feet,  cut- 
tinjj;'  out  necks,  islands  antl  peninsulas  of  land  t)f  all  shapes  and  sizes,  some  ((reen  and 
grassy,  others  covered  with  willows  or  heaxier  timber.  Not  far  from  "the  Crossing"  is 
a  camp  of  Indians ;  and  near  b)',  a  half-breed  patriarch,  who  might  be  mistaken  for 
an  Indian,  has  also  pitched  camp.  The  famil\'  havi;  sold  out  their  Red  River 
farm  to  a  speculator,  and  are  travelling  tcj  seek  a  new  liome  farther  west.  The 
patched  ami  blackened  tent,  the  listless  attitude  of  the  inmates,  and  the  general 
po\erty-stricken  look  of  things  are  all  Lmpromising ;  but  notwithstanding,  the  half- 
breeds    make    good    pioneers. 

Between  the  mouth  of  the  Ou'Appelle  and  any  point  on  thi-  Saskatchewan  every 
daj's  ride  r(;veals  new  scenes  of  a  country,  bleak  enough  in  winter,  but  in  summer 
fair  and  promising  as  the  h(;art  of  man  can  desire  ;  rolling  and  le\el  prairie  ;  gently 
swelling  uplands  ;  wooch-d  knolls  ;  broken  hills,  with  gleaming  lakes  interspersed, 
One  trail  leatls  to  the  l'",lbow  of  the  .South  Saskatchewan,  and  thence  to  Hattleford  ; 
another  to  I'Ort  Carlton  ;  another  to  I^'ort  Pelly.  The  most  beautiful  section  of  this 
region  is  the  Touchwood  Ilills — a  succession  of  elevateil  prairie  uplands  extensive 
enough  to  constitute  a  province.  At  a  ilistance  they  ai)pear  as  a  line  of  hills  stretch- 
ing awa\'  in  a  north-wi^stcrb  dirc'ction,  but  the  rise  from  the  level  prairie  is  so  gentle 
and  undulatiiiLi  that  the  traxcller  ne\er  linils  out  when-  the  hills  actualh'  commence. 
There  are  no  sharply  detined  summits  from  which  other  hills  and  the  distant  plain  on 
either  side  can  be  seen.  Cirassy  or  wooded  knolls  enclose  fields  that  look  as  if  they 
had  been  cultivated  to  produce  ha)'  crops  ;  or  s|)arkling  lakelets,  the  homes  of  snipe, 
plo\er  and  duck.  l-ong  reaches  of  fertile  lowlands  alternate  with  hillsides  as  fertile, 
Avemu's  of  whisp(;ring  trees  promise  lodge  or  gate,  but  lead  onl\'  to  Chateaux  en 
Jispagne. 

.Soon  after  leaving  the  Touchwood  Hills,  we  come  to  the  watershed  of  the  South 
Saskatchewan  ;  another  region  that  ma\'  be  easily  conv(;rted  into  a  garden  ;  now  boldly 
irregular  and  again  a  stretch  of  level  [)rairie  ;  at  intervals  swelling  into  softly-rounded 
knolls,  or  opening  out  into  fair  expanses  ;  well-wooded,  and  abounding  in  pools  and 
lakelets,  most  of  thi-m  alkaline.  We  pass  a  long  line  of  freighters'  wagons,  and 
almost  e\ery  da)'  inimigrants  pressing  west  in  their  prairie  "  schooners  ; "  caravans  or 
"brigades"  of  half-breeds  also,  their  carts  laden  With  Buffalo  skins  and  dried  meat, 
returning  east  after  a  buffal'^  hunt,  of  which  they  have  probabl)'  seen  the  end.  At  the 
last  riilge,  we  can  see  where — fifteen  miles  farther  west — the;  South  Branch  of  the  Saskatch- 
ewan rolls  along  to  the  north-east.  The  horizon  is  bounded  b)-  hills  far  on  the  other 
side  of  the  great  stream.  'Those  of  our  [)arty  who  art;  Ijound  for  T'ort  Carlton  make 
for  the  nearest  fortl  and  then  reach  the  North  Branch  of  the  river  by  crossing  the 
intervening    plateau,  at   this   point    only  eighteen    miles    witle.       If    we  cross  the  river  at 


!52 


or/^  ricrrRi-sorF. 


()iiL;t  r  I  nlf  lictorc  rcarh- 
11114       li.UtU  IokI  lonncrlx,      I'Ort 

L  arlioii  was  an  iiii|)i)rlaiil  )i<)st;  l)iit 
now,  the  I'rincc  Albert  sculcnicnt, 
tifl\  miles  down  stream,  aiul  in 
the  other  tlireition  —  liatllefoixl,  til 
1SS2  the  Capital  of  the  Xorlh-west 
Territories,  is  of  greater  consc- 
(luence  politicalK  anil  rommerciall)'. 
Hattleford  is  situated  on  the  south  hank  of  the  liallle  Ri\-er,  near  its  conlhience 
with  the  Saskatchewan.  On  the  opposite  hank  of  the  ri\-er  are  the  (jiiarters  of  a 
detac:hm<  lU  of  the  North-west  Mounted  Police.  Mere,  we  first  meet  re|)resentali\c's  of 
this  force,  whose  soklierh  ([ualities  are  the  praise  of  e\-er\()iie  entitleil  to  s])eak  ol  soKliers. 
()nl\-  three  hundred  in  number,  luitil  increased  to  lixc  huiulnnl  in  1SS2.  ihey  have  been 
intrusted    with   the   preserxation   of  peace  over  the  whole;    North-west,  and   thc\-  have  done 


NORT//ERN  NEIGH  no li 


'5:^ 


'A 


c 

•J. 


2  54  OUR   PlClin^ESQlli 

the  work  to  the  satisfaction  of  llu;  ("lovcrnment  and  the  ronntr)-.  The  Indians  have 
been  made  to  feel  the  majesty  ami  iht-  hlessint^  of  law,  without  an  outbreak  or  a  shot 
fired  on  either  side.  Two  or  three  of  tlu;  force  have  been  known  to  ride  into  a  camp 
of  hundreils  of  armed  savaij^es  and  arri^st  on  the  spot  anil  carry  off  for  trial  an  armed 
swagjferer  accused  of  murder — a  sijrnal  proof  of  the  supremacy  of  law,  as  Indians 
reijard  a  nuMiiber  of  their  baml  as  a  i)rot]ier,  whose  case  they  are  bound,  by  ties  of  blood 
and  sentiment,  to  make  tluMr  own.  Whiskey-traders,  who  formerlv  built  forts  and  lixcd 
at  license  where  they  listed,  have  hail  their  stores  contiscateil  and  themsehes  driven 
across  the  boundary  line,  in  a  state  of  intense  disjj^ust  at  the  force;  and  British  institu- 
tions o;eneralh.  No  exercise  of  authority  has  been  more  appreciated  by  the  Indians, 
for  they  hate  whiskey-traders  as  much  as  they  love  whiskey.  Though  the  force  is  scat- 
tered over  the  countrj-  at  Carlton,  Hattleford,  b'dmonton,  b'orts  P(;lly,  McLeod,  Walsh, 
and  other  points  hundreds  of  miles  distant  from  each  other,  and  unconnected  b)-  tele- 
graph, the  smallest  detachment  has  always  proved  largi:  enough  for  any  dut)-  with 
which  it  has  been  intrusted — an  evidence  of  moral  powe-r  that  could  have  been  acipiireil 
only  by  a  long  course  of  just  and  considerate  dealing.  The  Indian  policy  of  the 
Canadian  Government  is  sometimes  declared  to  be  a  failure,  and  at  other  times  is 
mildly  censured  as  expensive.  Though  by  no  means  perfect,  it  may  challenge  compari- 
son with  that  of  the  I'nited  .States,  or  of  any  other  civilizeil  nation  towards  a  weaker 
race.  Judged  by  its  fruits — the  maintenance  of  order  without  shedding  blood,  and  the 
steady  growth  of  a  conviction  among  the  Indians  that  the  Government  means  fairl)-  by 
them — it  may  even   be  pronounced  a  success. 

Crossing  the  North  .Saskatchewan,  either  at  Carlton  or  Hattleford,  we  continue  our 
westerly  course  up  the  great  mountain  stream,  which,  like  the  Assineboine,  seems 
scarcely  to  decrease  in  size  the  nearer  we  get  to  its  source.  The  trail  leads  across  a 
hilh"  country,  intersected  by  scores  of  ri\'ulets  flowing  from  tlie  north,  a  sight  gkul- 
dening  to  e\es  long  accustomed  only  to  streamless  prairie.  The  windings  of  iJiose 
nuiivn'ous  tributaries  of  the  North  .Saskatchewan  relieve  the  scenery  from  monotoin'. 
Every  hour's  ride  presents  us  with  a  new  view.  We  cross  valleys  singularly  dispropor- 
tioned  in  the  magnitude  of  every  feature  to  the  size  of  the  streams  llowing  through 
them  ;  and  lose  ourselves  in  vast  depressions,  surrounded  on  all  sides  !))■  hills,  like  the 
"punch-bowls"  of  the  south  of  Scotland.  I'rom  iilevated  points,  far  and  wide,  stretches 
can  be  seen  of  a  country  rich  in  loamy  soil,  grasses,  wood,  and  water.  Ciroves  of  tall 
white  spruce  in  the  gullies  and  along  lake  sides,  branching  poplars,  with  occasional 
clumps  of  white  birch  or  tamarac,  mingle  with  the  still-prevailing  aspen.  Thi-  sombre 
spruces  give  new  colour,  and  their  tall  pointed  heads  a  new  outline,  to  the  landscape. 
Sometimes  the  trail  leads  across  a  wide  open  plateau,  or  u[>  and  down  a  long  bare 
slope  ;  sometimes  through  forest  where  no  underbrush  interposes  obstacles  to  pleasant 
riding,  while  immediately  ahead    the  wood   always   seems    impenetrably  close;    sometimes 


NORTHERN  NEK. /Hi OR 

-55 

l.y  apparently  n,l.iv„...,l  ll.l.ls,  l„.m,„..,l  i„  ;„  v,-,ryin,.  distances  In-  .rraceful  tree, 
throuj;!,  „-l,„se  l,„n,  I,,.  ,l„.  wal..,s  „f  a  lake  .,.|,,„n.  ,„■  tl,,-  ro,„;l,  i.a.'k  of  a  hill  rises' 
w.th  l,„.|„.r  „p|a„,ls  l,ey.MHl.  ..nvin^  a  n,„r,.  .lis.ant  l,„ri.„n.  Occasionally  „-e  ,,et  a 
Khmpse    „f    ,l,e  Saskatcla.wan.   rennin,,    like  a  ,„ass  „f    ,„„|,.,,  |,,„|,   ,,.„,  ,,-„„,    ,,,pUl    ,„■ 

sandha,-.  l.et.een    far-e.ten.lin,,    hills    cvere.l  u„h    y ,,    aspens.       Ihe  frequent  fires. 

kn,.lle<l  an.l  left  sn,„,dderi„.  I,y  can-l.-ss  travellers  an,l  Indians,  keep  down  ,l,e  „r„w.h 
of  wood  all  over  the  North-west  -a  carelessness  that  settlers  in  fntnre  years  are  snre  to 
n,e  hnterly.       hor  one  of  the  gravest  of  the  unsolved  prohlen.s  connected  with   the  col- 

on,zat„H,    of    the   country  is    the  consequent   scarcity  of   tinther.      Tr,.e    plan.in ,    an 

extensue  scale,  shotdd  he  encouraged  l,y  l.oth  Provincial  and  Dominion  GovcTnn.ents 
On  th,.  way  to  Edmonton  we  are  sure  to  fall  i„  with  occasional  camps  of  frees 
Ihey  are  all  friendly:  and  ever  ready  for  a  talk  and  a  smok,:.  if  you  suppK  the 
tobacco.  I  1,..  s,|ua>vs  will  barter  freels^  their  berries,  lish.  wild  ducks  or  dried  buffalo 
meat,  for  a  httle  llonr.  tea.  tobacco  or  .any  trinkets  or  lu.vuries  ,on  ma^■  olfer  Treat 
them  kmdly  an,l  courteously,  for  they  are  the  children  of  the  old  lords  of  the  soil 
1  heir  catnp  is  sure  to  he  pictt.resquely  situated  beside  a  lake  stocke.l  with  fish  near 
wood  and  bushes    laden    with    the  Indian    pear   or  rich  sasketoon  berries 

A   peculiar  rite  of    the  Indians  inhabiting  portions  of    the  North-west    Territories  is 
the  ■■  U„g  I.-east."     This  feast  is  celebrated  once  a  year  at  the  principal  points  at  which 
the   Inotaus  co„j;re,^,a.e    in  s.unnter.  either    for  the  purpose  of    fishin,.  or  receivin,.  their 
ann,nt,es  or  treaty-ntoney.        In  the  nddst  of  the  proceedin.gs,   which  are  conducted  with 
the  utmost  gravity  by  the    principal    utedicine-man    of    the    band,    a  .log  is  slain,  cut  up 
cooked  and    eaten.      Although    called   the  1-east    of    the  White    Log.  and  this  colour  is 
preferred,  a  dog  of  any  other  sha.le  will  answer  the  purpose.      The  cere.nonv  appears  to 
l.a^e  s„,ne  analogy  to  the  Hebrew   Passover,   bn.  its  origin  and  nteaning  are  lost   in   ob- 
senrn;-,  as  ,s  the  case  with  u,os.  of  the  religious  observances  of  these   Indians.      If    von 
-ve  tune    ,t  will  pay  to  strike  northwards  to   Lac  la   HIche,   the  granarv   of    the   Ron'tan 
Cat M,c    ^  ,ss,on,.   or    to    U'hitefish    Lake    where    the    Indians,    ,n,der   the    care    of    the 
Me.I.™l,st  Lhurch,  are  being    weaned    fron,  nomadic    habits  and   becon.ing  agric.dtnrists 
li"t  our  objective  point  is   b'ort   Hdmonton.       This    thriving    settlement.'   beautifnllv 
sttuated    on    the    north    bank    of    the    .Saskatchewan,  is    destined    to    beco.ne  .u,c    of   th^ 
most    nnportant    centres   in  the  North-west.       No    matter    through     what     pass    of    the 
Kocky  Mountams  the  railway  uta.v  seek  the  confines  of    Hritish   Coh„ub,a.   the    position 
of   Ldntonton.    between     the    boundless    plains     that     e...end     along     both     sides     of    the 
Fe.ace     K.ver.    as   ,t  sweeps    in    majestic    curves    to    the     north,    and    the    co.uttrv    to    the 
south    watered    by  the  .nnltitudinous    streants     that    converge    to    forn,   th..    .South    Sas- 

touded    also    by    stretches  of   splendid    farming   land:    is   rich    with   e..haustless    forests 
coal,  and  lakes  an.l  streams  full  of  whit,-  fish  and    sturgeon  :    au.l  the  e.p,.n.lit.u-..  of 


356 


och'  ricrrRhiSiUi- 


;ja' 


.NOKTUWl-.ST      MDL'.MI.l)      I'UI.ICIv 


**!**  S 


.\VVv'/7//:7v'.\'   M-ICIIIU^R 


55; 


258  OUR    PICri'lIuSQUE 

moderate  sum  wouKl  ciiahlc  a  steamer  to  make  an  unbroken  voyai;T(.  between  luhiion- 
ton  aiul  Lake  Manitoba.  The  I'eace  River  country  is  so  far  to  the  north  that  it  is 
ilifficult  to  think  of  it  as  suited  to  tlie  ^rowth  of  ciMX-als  ;  but  it  is  still  more  difti- 
cult  to  reject  the  testimonies  to  its  fitness,  and  to  the  \astness  of  its  unile\i'lo|)(\i  wealth. 
"A  canoe  \()\aL;e  from  lliidson's  Ha\'  to  the  I'acilic."  by  the  late  Sir  ("icorLie  Simpson, 
editetl  with  notes  by  Malcolm  Mel. cod,  is  crammed  lull  ol  tacts  taken  Irom  the  jour- 
nals of  responsiiile  ofificials,  all  show  im^  that  "  behind  the  North  wind,"  or  bexond 
the  Xorlh-west  of  which  \\v.  haw;  been  speakini;,  cNtemls  a  new  reu;ion  e(|uall\'  \ast 
ami  ])r()misini4' ;  wheat  ami  pasture  kuuls,  well-timl)ered.  well-watereil,  and  aboundini^  in 
coal,  bitumfii  and  salt.  I'rof.  Macoun  declares  that  this  is  the  richest  region  of  Canada. 
Ihe  mean  temperature  ol  the  sexcn  months  from  .\|)ril  to  ( )cl()ber  at  l)un\fL;an  is 
hitjher  than  at  Ilalifa.x,  \o\a  Scotia,  almost  a  thousand  miles  nearer  the  e(|uator. 
AlreatK,  the  adxance  ^uard  of  an  inxailini;"  host,  arriied  with  plouj^hshares,  and  accoin- 
panieil  by  wi\es  and  children  and  donu^stic  cattle,  ha\'e  riNiched  i-'.dmonton.  \'ery  soon 
their  horses  and  herds  will  cross  the  Athabasca,  and  crop  the  rich  lierbaL^c  that  covers 
the   banks  of  the   Smok\-  and   the    Peace    Rivers. 

In  1SS2,  an  order  in  touncil  divided  the  Xorth-wesi,  outside  of  the  enlarged 
I'roxince  of  Manitoba,  into  the  four  districts  of  Assiniboia,  .\lberta.  .Saskatchewan  and 
.Athabasca.  The  beautiful  and  rich  agricultural  \alle\  of  the  (Ju'.Xppelle  must  alwa\s 
be  the  heart  of  .Assiniboia,  and  the  i-anclies  of  the  liow  Ri\cr  the  ^lor\-  ol  .Mberta. 
The  lands  of  the  North  Saskatchewan,  alont;"  the  westi'rn  section  ol  which  we  ha\c 
been  traxclliuL;,  constitute  the  third  |iro\ince  in  f^ossr.  The  I'eace  Ri\cr  countrx',  to  be 
known  hereafter  as  Athabasca,  is  the  onK  one  of  the  fom-  where  a  white  i)opul;ition 
has  not  yet  L;'ath(;red  about  one  or  more  centres  ;  but  this  last  is  liki'ly  to  excel  all 
th(,-  others,  antl,  probabl\-.  to  be  in  the;  cikI  the  Banner  Pro\ince  of  Canada.  .Sieambf)ats 
can  navi!L!^at(;  th(;  Peaci;  for  (|uit(;  as  man\'  months  in  the  \ear  as  the\'  now  na\  ij^ate 
the  .St.  Lawrence.  It  offi-rs  f(;wer  impediments  to  naxination  than  either  the  .St.  Law- 
rence; or  the  Saskatchewan.  Tlu;  soil  is  as  rich  and  the  prairies  are  vaster  than  in 
Manitoba  or  Assinii;)oia.  .\nil  the  inimiuiitv  of  the  whole  reL,doii,  from  the  "infamous 
and  unspeakable  'hopper,'"  throws  a  heav\-  weight  into  the  scale  in  its  favoiu".  Mow 
does  it  happen  that  |)ractically  boiuidless  prairies  slKJuId  be  found  in  this  far  ncnthern 
and  fon.'st  area?  Dr.  (i.  M.  Dawson  sa\'s  that  "there  can  be  no  doubt  that  they  are 
produced  and  maintained  by  tires.  The  coiuitr\-  is  n.itiu-ally  a  wooded  (Uie,  and  where 
tires  ha\c  not  run  for  a  few  years,  youm^-  trees  bei^in  rapidly  to  spring  up.  I  he  In-es 
are,  of  course,  ultimately  attributable  to  human  aLi;enc\-,  and  it  is  probable  that  before 
the  country  w;is  inhabited  b\  the  Indians  it  w.is  (,'\-er\\vhere  cl(Mis(.'ly  forest-ckul.  I  hat 
the  dale  of  origin  of  the  chief  ^  urie  tracts  now  found  is  remote,  is  ilearlx  evidenced 
by  their  present  ap|)earance,  and  more  parliiularK  bv  th<;  fact  that  they  are  every- 
where scored  and    rutted   with  old    buffalo    tracks,   while    ever\    suitable-  locaiit)'   is  pitted 


A  -( Vv'  THERN  NlilGfrBOR 


2tQ 


with  tlu;  saucer-shaped  '  hulTalo  wallows.'"  Tf)  the  same  cause — the  action  of  constaiuly 
recurring  tires  is  to  l>e  attrilnited  tlie  ahsohite  ireek^ssness  of  the  prairi(;s  for  hiiiuh'eds 
of  miles   hetwt'tiii   the    two   Saskalchewaus  and    farther   south,    in    the    third   steppe,   where 


Yy-T^»iifdi»i|' 


TiiK    I'EAsr   ui'    riu:    wuiri;    i)o(i. 


alone  the  |)rairie  is  seen  in  its  |)ure  and  naked  perlcction.  Here,  for  ila\  after  da\, 
th<'  traveller  mo\cs  like  a  speck  on  the  surface  of  an  unhroken  and  appannth-  inter- 
minahU-  level  <-\panse.  Xolhin:,;  inter\enes  hetween  him  and  the  h(ua/on,  anil  let  him 
Ljallop  as  fast  as  he  will  the  hori/on  appears  e\cr  the  same  and  at  the  same  di  ;ance 
from  him.  .\ll  tlie  whih',  too,  he  sees  no  livinui;'  thinu;'  on  the  e.iith  or  in  the  air. 
Silence  as  ol  the  ,ura\c  reigns  supreme  Irom  morning  to  ni^ht.  The  spirits  of  the 
most  huoxaut  tia\<lier  sink  as  he  rides  deepei"  and  deeper  into  t]ii>  terrilile  silence, 
unU.'ss  he  h.is  learned  to  commune  with  the  ['".lernal.  Knowiu'^  the  cause  of  this  tree- 
lessness,  we  now  know  the  reinedx,  I  )iri'ct  human  aeenc\  can  replaic  whit  intlirect 
human  a^cni\"  has  displaced.  I  Kucrnments,  I  )ominiou  and  local,  should  at  once  eiu'ouraLi< 
tree  planting'  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  the  success  that  has  attended  s\-stematic  efforts 
in  this  direction  in  the  Western  .Stati's  is  the  hest  encouraL^ement  to  ns  to  140  and  <\i.'' 
likewise.       .Such    eltorts    .ire    not    needed    in     .Saskatchewan    ;ind    .\lh;iliasca,   where   there 


;6o 


och'  /'/c7rA'/-:s(.)r/: 


X(  Vv'  TIIRRX  NEIGHIU  )R  26  / 

is    abuiulancc    of    wood,   con.sistin.^^    chicfl)-    of    aspen,   cottonwood.    birch    and    coniferous 
trees. 

Many  as  are  the  attractions  of  Athabasca,  we  do  not  propose  to  visit  it  on  this 
occasion.  At  lulmonton  ^u■  call  a  halt.  Our  journey  to  the-  west  and  north  is  ended 
We  turn  now  to  the  south,  first  to  the  Old  Rocky  Mountain  House;  the-nce  to  bort 
Cal^rarry  in  hopes  of  sec-in^-  th(,-  ir(,n  horse  or  some  si.^nis  of  his  approach.  Cal- 
.Uarr>-  has  been  the  ,^reat  ..biective  point  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  aftc.-  th.. 
route,  by  Brandon.  (ju'Appelle  and  .Moose  Jaw  Creek  was  decided  upon.'  It  is  in 
th<-  heart  of  the  old  Hlackfeet  coiuUr)-.  that  fairest  section  of  the  Xorth-wesi  which  is 
the  western  curve  of  the  old  -  bcrtile  lielt '•  or  -Rainbow."  Here,  on  account  of  the 
Chinook  winds  stn'amin.^-  through  the  passes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  up  their 
Hanks,  the  avc'raoc  tenip,.rature,  during  the  winter  months,  is  fifteen  de-rees  hi-lu-r 
than    in    \V(-stern    Ontario. 

When    the    mountains    come    into    view,   we    find    that    the    North-west  has    kept   its 
best   win.,  to  th,.   last.      Th.  majestic   ran^^c-  of  the  .\lps.  swe<.pin,r  round    Xorthc.rn    Italv 
seen   fn.m    the   roof  of   Milan   Cathedral,    nniltitudinous  peaks  ^lorvin^  in   historic  names 
Kn.ardm.    Irom   th<.    barbarians  of  the   north    th.   rich    plain   at  their  feet,  is   not   a   ..ruuU.r 
spectacle   than    th..   vic.w    from    Cal^arry.        i.ittl,.    wond,.r    that    th..    red    uian    plac,.d    his 
I>ara.l,s..   b..y..ncl   that   encll..ss  succc-ssion   ..f  whit,.-cr..st..d   si..rras,  which,    in    I.m..  unbrok-n 
1"H',    banvd    his  way   t.,  th.-   happy   hunting  grounds   farthc.r  w,.st.       On    th.-  oth,.r  si.l,.  of 
those    m.uintains    ..f    th..    s..ttin,,    sun.    p,.ak    ..v,.,     p,.ak    towering    up    to    th..    skic-s    w.s 
surely  a   fauvr  land    than    even   thos..    ocean-lik..  ..xpans..s  .>f  ^r,...n   and    ^..Id    Iron,    whuh 
they  rose  so   orandly.        Litll,.    wonder  that   h..  call...l    th.:m  "The    Bridge  of    th..   World" 
for  th..y   s....m...l  a   lit    boun.lary  b.-twcn-n    th..   plains    .,v,.-    which    he    had   huntc-d    all    his 
l'f<'.    and    a   myst,.ri.>us   world    b..yond.       Tin.    sportsman    has    as    much    reas.,n    t.,   r...,oic.,. 
.n    this   sect,.>n    .>f    the    country   as    th,:    lov..r  of    th..   pictuivsque.       The  conntl..ss    h,.nls 
of    bultalo    that     once     bla,k..n,..l     its    foot-hills    and     plains    and     valleys     aiv    b,.im.-    n- 
I>:'^-'^1     '>>•     n<T..|onls.     poll,.,!     Ano-us.   an.l     oth..r     br....cls     of    do„iestic    cattle-     bur  .n,- 
■nountains  still   altord   ^oo.l  sport    for   th..   rill.-,    and   the    lak.-s    and    streams   swann    with 
trout.       One   specimen,   a    kind    of    .nountain    salmon,    ranges    from    hv..  to  thirty  pounds 
weight.        I  he    ^en,.ral    charactc.r    of     th.-     rivers    an.l     th,.ir     slu.ltc.rin^    valh-vs  '  is    aptly 
.llustrated    by    the     Marcp.is    of    Lorn,:    in     a    pen     picture,    which     we     c-xtrac't    from     his 
\\  innipeo   speech  : 

'■  ''"lie  river  b.-ds  are  lik,.  nr,.at  moats  in  a  modern  fortn-ss-you  do  not  se,-  them  till 
close  upon  th,-m.  As  in  th..  .|acis  and  rampart  of  a  f,.rtr..ss,  th.-  shot  can  sc-arch  acn.ss 
the  smooth  surfac:es  aboy..  th..  ditch,  so  any  u  n>ds  that  nuy  arise  sweep  across  th..  twin 
levels  abov,.  th,.  riv..r  foss,.s.  The  stivam.  run  c-oursin^  al..n,  the  sunk..n  l.-v-U  in 
th,-s,.  vast  d.tch.:s.  which  ar,-  som,.tim,.s  mil..s  m  ui.lth.  Sh,.lt..r..d  by  th..  undulatin^r 
banks,   knolls    or    .lilTs    whl.h    forn,     th..    margin    .,f    ,h,.ir  ex.-avat,..l   bounds,   are   woodC 


262 


OUR   PICTLJRRSQUE 


jfeiierally  of  poplar,  except  in  thi;  norlhcrn  and  western  fir  frin^^e.  On  approachinjr  the 
mountains  their  snow-caps  look  like  hiisj^e  tents  encamped  alon^-  the  rollinij  prairie. 
I'p  to  this  great  camp,  of  whicli  a  len^^th  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  is  sometimes 
\isihle,  the  ri\cr  \alleys  wind  in  trcmhcs,  lookint^  like  the  C()V(Teil  wa)s  by  which 
siei^e  works  xij^-zai;'  up  to  a  besieged  cil\-.  On  a  ni^irer  view  the  cam|j  line  chanu'es 
to  ruinetl  marl)le  palaces,  and  tiirounh  tiieir  tremendous  walls  and  giant  woods  )()n 
will  soon  be  dashiuL;'  on   the  train   for  a  winter  baskinjr  on   the  warm   Pacific  Coast." 

We  penetrate  the  \arious  passes  by  following-  tin;  ri\ers  up  the  \alle)s  that  sepa- 
rate till'  transverse  ridyes,  an  inleniiinablr  succession  of  which  constitute  tin-  appartMill)- 
unbroki'ii  chain  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  1  liese  passes  increase  in  altitude  as  wt;  l,^o 
south.  riius,  the  I'eace  River  I'ass  is  only  2000  leet  abovi;  sea  level.  TIu;  Tete 
laune  or  Yellow  Mead,  which  the  Canadian  (io\(;riiineiU  aclo[)ted  at  Sanilford  Meiii- 
ini^'s  suggestion,  is  3700  feet.  The  Kootaney  Pass,  in  latitude  49'-'  30',  "s  nearly  booo 
feet    high,    and  the    Kicking    Horse   not   much  less. 

But,  our  expediti(jn  is  not  charged  with  the  task  of  I'xploriiig  the  I'assi's  that  lead 
to  th(;  mountain  frontier  of  l)ritisli  Columbia.  We  ha\i;  to  return  from  Calgarr)-  to 
Winnipeg,  l)y  the  route;  marked  out  across  the  plains  for  the  Canadian  I'acific  Railway. 
Deeper  and  deeper  is  this  great  national  highway  penetrating  into  the  hitherto  lone 
huul,  opening  the  w;ry  for  myriads  of  all  nations  to  t-nter  in  and  take  possession.  We 
come  upon  thousands  of  mtin  engagetl  on  the  work  of  construction.  Ihe  scene  is  one 
to  inspire  the  patriot  and  the  lover  of  his  kind.  The  wt'.ilth,  the  skill,  the  forethought 
and  ilisciplinetl  (energy,  once  devotetl  to  tire-e)etl  war,  are  now  pledged  to  the  Arm\-  of 
Inilustry  antl  Peace.  With  congratulations  ami  hope,  we  welcome  the  steel  rails — har- 
binger of  a  new  civilization  and   material   pleilge  ol   the  unit)    of  our   Dominion. 


NORTHERN  NEIGHBOR 


263 


BI^ITTSH    COLUMBIA. 

y^N  the  Atlantic,  the  Dominion  counts  the  four 
^^  Maritime  Provinces  of  Nova  Scotia,  New 
Brunswick,  I'rince  Edward  Island,  and  Quebec, 
though  only  the  first  two  possess  harbours  open  all 
tbr    )car  round.       Our   Pacific 

coast  is  included   in  one   Prov-  .,'  , 

iiKc,  which  is  both  island  and 
ni;i inland.  But  British  Colum- 
bia is  so  vast  in  extent,  so 
ruli  in  material  resources,  of 
the  sea,  the  forest  and  the 
niMie,  and  in  scenery  —  chielly 
of  L^rand,  gloomy,  and  sa\age 
types  —  and  is  so  little  known 


to  general  readers  or  even 
to  its  own  inhabitants,  that 
it  deserves  a  volume.  Limit- 
ed as    PiCTUKKSQUE   CaNADA 

is  to  a  fixed  number  of  parts, 
it  is  impossible  to  do  justice 
to  this  vast   Province    that  we    take 
up    last.       Little   more  can   be  done 
than  refer  to  its  history,  its  produc- 
tions, and  its  hopes.     It  is  so  full  of 
promise  that  opportunities  will  doubtless 
soon  arise   of  treating   it  with    more   ful- 
ness.      The  completion  of  the  Canadian 


'^4  %m 


WAGC.ON     KOAD    ON     IMI-     IKASKR. 


2(>.\.  och'  /'/C7'(  h'/usor/-: 

Pacific  Railway  has  iMiahlctl  tourists  and  artists  to  explore  its  seas  of  nionntains,  wilh 
tlu'ir  ciecp  j^ori^^es  aiui  intcrvcniiij;  plateaus,  from  llic  .siiiuinit  of  the  main  chain  ol  the 
Rockies  to  the  Pacific  coast.  Already  the  advantai^es  of  its  conimaiulino-  geograph- 
ical position  are  in  part  apprticiated  by  commerce,  and  throuiL;h  the  |<orts  of  Ksquir.iall, 
\  ictoria,  New  W'esiminstrr,  and  \'ancou\(  r  has  l)e;^un  to  llow  the  enriching;  currents  of 
inter-continental  and  trans-Pacitic  tnule. 

In  the  si.\t(jciuh  centur\.  hold  British  navitjators  like  I)rak(;  and  Cavendish,  lau^h- 
iiiLt  to  scorn  I'apal  Hulls  that  assigned  the  New  World  lo  Spain  aiul  Portugal, 
sailed  into  the  Pacific  hy  th(;  Straits  of  Ma_<:[cllan,  plundered  Spanish  L^alleons,  Imt 
soui^lu  in  \aiii  for  the  lon^;  dreamed  of  passage  back  again  into  the  Atlantic.  Where 
the)  failed,  .Apostolos  X'alerianos,  better  known  as  |uan  de  I'uca.  a  dreek  in  the  ein- 
plo\  of  the  \'icero\-  of  Mexico,  claimed  to  have  succeedeil  in  159::.  He  may  ha\e 
enteretl,  through  the  straits  now  known  by  his  name,  into  I'uget  Sound,  ami  then. 
ha\ing  sailed  up  through  the  Straits  of  Georgia  and  re-entereil  the  ocean,  imagined 
that  he  had  tliscovered  the  northw(!st  passage  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  <  )r 
hi-  may  have  only  heard  Irom  an  Indian  of  those  great  interior  waters  and  ha\{^  built 
up  a  plausible  story  "touching  the  strait  of  sea  commonly  called  I'retiiim  Anianum.  in 
the  .South  Sea,  through  the  northwest  passage  of  Meta  Incognita."  At  any  rate,  no 
one  entered  them  for  maiu-  a  long  tla\'  akeruard;  and  in  177S  Captain  Cook,  s.iiling 
along  tlv-  coast  which  I  )rake  luul  calknl  New  .Mbion  two  centuries  previously,  and 
lindiiiL;  no  entrance,  tells  us — with  a  bhintness  excusable  in  an  English  sailor  refer- 
ring to  ;i  Cireek — that  the  stor)'  was  a  myth,  e\en  so  far  as  the  allegeil  .Strait  of  i'lua 
was  concerned.  "We  saw,"  he  sa\s,  "a  small  opiMiing,  which  llattered  us  with  tli«' 
hopes  of  finding  a  harbour.  These  hopes  lesseneil  as  we  drew  near;  and  at  last  \\i- 
had  some  reason  to  think  that  the  opening  was  closetl  b\'  low  land.  On  this  account 
I  called  the  point  of  land  to  the  north  of  it  Capt;  Platter)  ....  It  is  in  this  \ii-\- 
latitude  where  we  now  were  liial  geographers  ha\e  placeil  the  pretended  .Strait  ot 
juan  lie  P'uca.  I)U<:  we  saw  nothing  like?  it;  nor  is  there  the  least  probabilit)-  that 
<'V(;r  an\  such  thing  existed!"  Continuing  his  course  to  the  north.  Cook  entered  an 
inlet  which  lu,'  named  King  George's  Soiuid,  but  which  was  called  Xoolka  by  the 
natives  ;  and  Nootka  it  is  to  this  da\\  Although  unnecessarily  positive  about  what  he 
did  not  see,  and  representing  on  his  charts  Xootka  and  the  whole  of  \'ancou\er's 
Island  as  part  of  the  mainland.  Captain  Cook  was  most  accurate  in  his  observations — 
nautic  d,  astronomical,  geographical;  and  his  notes  on  the  fin"-bearing  animals,  tin- 
tish.  the  forests,  and  other  |)roduction;-,  of  the  country,  as  well  as  regarding  th<'  natives, 
are  still  iiitt'resting  reading.  Their  publication  led  to  traile  s|)ringing  up  between  thi^ 
northwest  c-oast  and  China.  In  1786  English  nu'rchants  residing  in  the  P.ast  Indies 
purciiased  two  vessels  and  placed  them  under  the  commaiicl  of  John  Meares.  I.ienten- 
mt    in     His    Maiestx-'s    n.ivy,   with    instrui       its    to  do   what  he  could   to  devclo))  a   tr.ule 


XOA' rill'.KX   XliK.IIIU )R 


20^ 


1»K\  l.,.i  TANnN.    .lAMl',    N.W.T..       ANADA. 


266  OUR   PICTURESQUE 

in  furs,  ginseng,  and  other  products  of  Nootka  and  the  adjoining  coast.  Mearcs  did 
his  work  well.  Purchasing  ground  from  the  chief  of  Nootka,  ho  erected  a  breastwork 
and  house  or  factory  ;  built,  with  the  aid  of  Chinese  carpenters,  a  little  ship  of  forty 
or  fifty  tons,  and  launched  her  into  the  Sound,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  natives,  and 
started  what  promised  to  be  a  profitable  business.  But  in  the  eyes  of  Spain  all  this 
was  poaching;  and  in  1 7S9  Spanish  ships  of  war  came  to  Nootka.  seized  the  English 
vessels,  and  took  possession  of  the  port.  Captain  Meares  brought  the  matter  before 
the  House  of  Commons  l)y  petition,  and  war  was  ver\'  likeK'  to  have  been  the  result, 
for  in  those  da)s  Hnglanil  had  not  "the  craven  fear  of  being  great.'  The  Spanish 
Government,  howeNcr,  agreed  to  make  restitution,  and  it  was  even  thought  proper  that 
an  ofiticer  should  be  sent  to  Nootka  to  receive  back  in  form  tiie  territory  and  factories 
or  other  buildings.  Captain  George  X'ancouver  was  selected  for  the  purpose.  He 
was  also  instructed  to  make  a  survey  of  the  coast  from  30°  north  latitude,  and  to 
ascertain  the  existence  of  any  navigable  communication  between  the  Northern  Pacific 
and  the  Northern  Atlantic  oceans.  It  had  been  reported  in  Britain  that  in  1789  an 
American  vessel,  the  sloop  Washington,  had  found  the  Strait  of  Fuca,  had  entered  it, 
and  had  "  come  out  again  to  the  northward  of  Nootka."  Captain  Vancouver  was, 
therefore,  instructed  to  examine  "the  supposed  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  said  to  be 
situated  between  48°  and  49°  north  latitude,"  and  their  Lordships  of  the  Admiralty 
added,  with  a  wisdona  decidedly  greater  than  their  knowledge  of  the  American  conti- 
nent, "  Tlie  discovery  of  a  near  communication  between  any  such  sea  or  strait  and 
any  river  running  into  or  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  would  be  particularly  useful!" 

On  his  voyage  up  the  coast  X'ancouver.  by  an  odd  coincidence,  fell  in  with  the 
gentleman  who  had  commanded  the  sloop  Washington,  and  learned  from  him  that  he 
had  penetrated  the  Straits  of  I""uca  for  only  fifty  miles.  Vancouver  was  Captain  of  the 
Discovery,  sloop  of  war,  and  the  Chatham,  armed  tender.  His  Lieutenants  were  Puget, 
Mudge,  and  Baker.  The  Chatham  was  under  Lieutenants  Broughton,  Hanson,  and 
Johnstone.  A  glance  at  the  map  to-day  shows  us  the  names  of  those  gentlemen, 
immortalized  by  their  voyage  of  discovery. 

Vancouver  proceeded  up  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  landing  at  different  points  on  the  south 
coast.  He  was  charmed  everywhere  with  landscapes  that  "  called  to  our  remembrance 
certain  delightful  and  beloved  situations  in  old  England."  On  June  4,  1792,  he  went  on 
shore,  and,  "  pursuing  the  usual  formalities  which  are  generally  observed  on  such  occa- 
sions, and  under  the  discharge  of  a  royal  salute  from  the  vessels,  took  possession  of  the 
coast."  Going  north,  he  honoured  the  interior  sea  with  the  name  of  the  Gulf  of 
Georgia,  after  His  Majesty,  and  Burrard's  Jnlet,  near  Vancouver,  after  Sir  Harry 
Burrard  of  the  navy.  Coming  out  by  Charlotte  Sound  into  the  ocean,  he  made  for 
Nootka,  and  there  "found  riding  His  Catholic  Majesty's  brig,  the  Active,  bearing  the 
broad  pennant  ot    Seflor  Don  Juan  Francisco   de  la  Bodega  y  Quadra,  cor  mandant   of 


NORTlfERN  NlilGIinOR  ^g 

the    marine   establishment    of    St.    Bias    and   California."      Quadra  .eceived  the    En.,dish 
w.th  great  courtesy,  hut  was  willing  to  give  up  only  the    spot  of  ground  on  which^  Mr 
M  cares'  house    had    been    situated.       The    rights    of    .Spain    to    island    and   mainland  he 
cons.dered  beyond  dispute.      \'ancouver.  with  equal  politeness  and  firmness,  pointed  out 
that    .San    hrancisco    was    the    northernmost  settlement  occupied  by  the    subjects    of   Mis 
Catholic  Majesty  in  April.  ,789.  and.  therefore,  that  according  to  the  agreement  of  the 
Court    of  Spain    e.xclusive    rights    could  not  be    claimed   beyond  that  port.        The  whole 
matter  had  to  be  referred  back  to  Englnad  and  Spain  for  instructions.     Vancouver  went 
,    on   w,th   his    surveys;    and    when  he    returned  to   Nootka  in    ,794.   learned    to    his    great 
regret    that    Quadra  was   dead.      The    island    he    called  after  hi.nself  and  the  courteous 
Sipaniard  ;    but  Quadra's  share  in  the  name  was  soon  forgotten. 

Xot  till    ,843  was  any  further  attempt  at  settlement  on  \^ancouver  Island  made  by 
white  men.      In   that  year  the   Hudson's  Bay  Company  built  a  fort  at  Victoria,  and  sub- 
sequently the  British  Government  constituted  the  Island  as  a  crown  colony.     Discoveries 
of  gold  on  the  mainland,  reported  to  the   Home   Government   in   ,856,  attracted  crowds 
of  gold  seekers  in    ,857  and   1858.  and  Victoria   e.xperienced    the  same  kind  of  "  boom  " 
that  cursed  Winnipeg  in   1SS2.       Thousands  of  adventurers  pressed    on    across  the  Gulf 
of  Georgia  to  wash    the    bars    of    the    Fraser  or  "Crazy"  River,  and  up  as  far  as  the 
1  hompson    and    Bonaparte,  overcoming   obstacles    that    would    have    stopped    the    most 
dctermmed    army    ever    organized.        A  few   hundreds  of  the  hardiest  and  most  intrepid 
reached  the.r  destinations  ;  a  few  scores  secured  bags  of  gold  dust.       The  rest  perished 
miserably,  or  drifted  back  to  \'ictoria    and    to    California,  broken    men.  but    laying    the 
blame  not  on  themselves,   but  on   "British  old  fogyism "  and   "the   absence  of  American 
enterprise."      During  this    time   of   aggressive    rowdyism    the    mainland  was    constituted 
into  a  colony.      Unlike  \\ancouver  Island,  it  had  originally  been  entered  from  the  east 
Agents  of  the   Northwest  Companj-   had    crossed  the    main   divide   of  the    Rocky  Moun- 
tains and  given  their  names  to  its  great  rivers,  but  their  labours  had  led    to    no    politi- 
cal action.       In   1866  the  two    crown    colonies  were    united    under  the    name    of  British 
Columbia,   and  in    1S71   it  became  a  province  of  the   Dominion. 

Victoria,  the  capital,  is  the  most  charming  little  city  in  America.  It  has  not  one- 
fourth  of  the  life,  activity,  and  wealth  of  Portland,  the  capital  of  the  State  of  Orc.gon. 
nor  the  bustle  and  apparent  vigour  of  Seattle;  but  in  no  city  on  the  Pacific  coast 
north  of  San  Francisco  can  you  get  a  dinner  such  as  is  served  daily  in  the  Driard 
House.,  and  nowhere  else  are  there  such  views  of  glorious  mountain  ranges  as  from  its 
environs,  such  an  atmosphere  and  climate,  and  such  opportunities  for  boating  and  bath- 
ing, or  for  drives  into  the  country  along  well-built  roads,  past  cottages  that  look  like 
to>-boxes.  surrounded  by  roses  and  honey-suckle,  and  cpiaint  little  roadside  inns  that 
remind  one  of  out-of-the-way  nooks  in  remote  counties  in  old  England  rather  chan  of 
the    fevered  life,   the    glitter,  and  the  discomfort  of  the  farthest  and  newest  wc-st        Vic- 


;riS 


OCR  /'/c/'CR/'Soc/': 


toria  must  become  the  cjardcn  and  the  sanitarium  of  the  Pacific  slope,  and  of  much  of 
our  own  northwest,  when  its  prairies  are  tilled  by  tin-  iiands  of  the  d;li;>;'n*.  Ne-.tlin<^ 
bcaiitifull)'  on  low  ever-<^reen  hills  oxcrlookiiiij  tin;  hay,  its  inner  harbour  riuviin"^  np 
to    within    a    f(nv    hundred    yards    of    the    na\al    station    of    l^scjuimall,  olU  iiul;   Irom   its 


^    ■-t;5S«b>."'i«* 


^#%^;; 


:?»^' 


im- 


'^  f 


^..nt. 


:  c^-^ 


w% 


i>m 


■ -V-  *- 


f^^ 


ESQl'IMAl.l     llAKKOLk. 


natural  park  of  Beacon  Hill  views  of  the  crreat 
Olympian  ran_i,n',  anil  of  the  Cascades  with 
the    grand    form    of    Mount    Baker    supreme, 


.--«* 


'^ 


>^'- 


y  & 


':<"WW*  i 


«f-yr^. 


M  >A'  rUERX  XEKilllh  )R  269 

it  Is  simply  impossil^lc  to  do  it  justice  in  an  illustration,  and  the  aticnii)!  is  not 
made.  Oidy  those  uiio  ha\o  Hvfd  in  X'ictoria  know  how  cnjoyaijlc  it  is  simply  to 
exist  in  such  a  cliiiiatc  anil  amid  .sucii  surroundings.  No  oni:  wiio  visits  it  in  the 
sprinj^-  montlis  tiiinks  the  iani^ua^c  of  iMr.  Macfie  extreme  in  ids  "  \'ancouver  Island 
ami  ilrilish  Cohunbia."  In  March  tlie  trees  are  covered  "  uil'h  tinted  hiids  and  the 
iieids  with  xcrdure.  Tlien  Iiecome  \  isihit;  the  star-eyed  and  delicately  blue  collinsia, 
the  chaste  erythronium,  tlu;  scarlel-blossomed  lilies,  and  the  _L;raceful  trillium  ;  the  sprinqf 
j^^rass  and  youiiu;  fern  show  in'omise  of  returning"  life;  the  unfoldin;^-  oak  leaf  and  bucl- 
diuiL;'  wild  fruits  proclaim  that  w  inter  is  j^one.  The  sensations  produced  by  the  aspect 
of  nature  in  Ma)'  arc  indescribably  thlii^htful.  The  freshness  of  the  air,  the  warble 
of  birds,  the  clearness  of  the  sk)-,  the  profusion  and  frat^i'ance  of  wild  roses,  llu:  wide- 
spread varie^aletl  hues  of  buttercu[)S  and  daisies,  the  islets  and  iidets,  together  with 
distant  snow-peaks  bursting  upon  the  view  as  one  asct;nds  some  contiguous  eminence, 
combine  to  till  the  mind  with  enchantment  uneipialled  out  of  Paradise."  Another 
writer,  who  alwa\s  weighs  his  words  well,  Mr.  Sandford  I'leming,  in  his  "England  and 
Canada,"  sa\s  :  "  It  is  not  pcjssible  to  li\'e  in  a  more  fav()urai)U;  climate.  The  wintc:r 
is  es])ecially  mihl,  the  thermometer  seldom  falling  below  freezing  point.  The  summer 
is  temperate;  the  thermometer,  I'ahrenheit,  seldom  rises  above  72°,  the  lowest  range 
being  23^30'.  Southerly  winds  prevail  for  two-lhirtls  of  the  year,  and  sununer  lasts 
from  May  to  Sepleiidicr.  The  atmosi)here  is  sensii)ly  affected  by  the  current  which 
flows  from  tin;  southern  latitudes  of  Japan  and  China.  The  Kuro-Siwo  brings  the 
warmer  temperature  of  the  southern  seas  in  the  same  way  as  the  Gulf  Stream  has 
heightened   the  salubrity  of  the   British   Islands." 

It  has  been  said  tliat  the  weather  of  Vancouver  Island  is  miKl(M'  and  steadier  than 
that  of  the  south  of  England,  the  summer  longer  and  liner,  and  the  winter  shorter  and 
less  rigorous  ;  and  this  is  saying  a  great  deal.  The  climate  of  this  Island  must  be  almost 
f)erfection.       It   is  its  oldest  inh;'b:lant  who  should  be  the  most  free  from  tlisease. 

The  harbour  ui'  \  icloria  has  a  narrow  entrance,  is  small,  not  very  deej),  and  is 
rather  inconveniently  shaped  ;  but  as  iisquimalt  is  near  enough  to  serve  as  an  ad- 
ditional port,  \'ictoria  does  not  suffer.  When  the  days  come,  foreshadowed  in  tlu: 
address  of  tlu'  Chinese  residents  to  Governor  Kenned)-,  the  neck  of  kuul  that  now 
separates  the  two  harbours  may  be  cut  :  "  I's  like  this  uo  charge  place  ;  see  it  will 
grow  and  grow  higher  to  highest ;  can  see  a  Canton  will  be  in  Victoria  of  this  Paciiic. 
The  maritime  enterprises  will  add  up  wonderfully  and  come  (piick.  China  has  silks, 
tea,  rice  and  sugar.  Here  is  lumber,  co.il,  inintrals,  and  lish  an  exhaustless  supply 
which  no  other  land  can  sin-j)ass."  ICs(|uimalt  harbour  is  a  gem  ;  not  very  large,  but 
the  anchorage  is  excellent,  and  it  has  all  the  other  requisites  of  a  hrst-class  harbour; 
and  in  the  Royal  Roads  outside,  along  the  coast  as  far  as  Race  Rocks,  any  number 
of  ships  can  ride  safely. 


370 


OUR  riCTURJiSQUE 


AOA'////:A'.V  NEU.illiOR  37 1 

With  the  railway  compK'te  from  Victoria  to  Nanaiino.  the  islanders  believe  that  Es- 
<iuimall  will  be  the  emporium  for  the  trade  from  tin-  coast  of  Asia,  and  ilial  passengers 
and  freight  will  hi-  takini  thence  in  cars  to  Nanaimo,  and  from  that  point  cross  the 
(lulf  of  Georgia  in  steam-ferries  to  \ancouver.  It  may  hi'  so.  Who  in  this  century 
will  set  limits  to  the  possible  ?  New  Westminster,  a  capital  when  tlic  mainland  was 
a  separate  Province,  and  still  the  cintcr  of  a  piomising  district,  hopis  to  gel  a  share 
of  this  great  expected  trade,  and  in  the  meantime  has  built  a  short  line  to  connect 
with  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  at  V'ancoii\er,  tin-  Pacilic  tcrnnnus  of  the  trans- 
continintal  r.iihoad. 

The  ([uesiion  as  to  where  all  the  trade  was  to  comc!  from,  on  which  so  man)' 
hopes  were  built,  has  alri'ady  beiMi  answered  to  a  great  extent.  The  discovery  of 
the  Klondike  gold  fields  and  the  consequent  influx  of  prospectors  and  traders  ha\e 
given  these  points  ample  proof  of  the  wisdom  of  this  action.  The  wonderful  dcvclop- 
im-nl  of  the  trade  with  China  has  also  shown  to  the  world  the  advantages  of  these 
harbors  and  the  excellent  railroad  facilities  for  connection  with  trans-continental  lines. 
The  extension  of  British  sovereignty  over  ports  and  districts  in  what  is  familiarly  called 
the  b'ar  Kast  has,  by  increasing  the  importance  of  liscjuimalt  as  a  naval  station,  added 
to  th(!   rank  of  other  towns  as  shipping  points. 

From  New  Westminster  a  drixc  of  six  or  seven  miles  along  an  old  concession  line 
running  due  north  takes  us  to  the  upper  ind  of  Hurrard  In!  't.  Nearer  the  mouth  (jf 
the  Inlet,  and  on  opposite  sides,  are  the  villages  of  Ciranxille  and  Moodyville,  both 
places  created  by,  and  living  upon,  saw-mills  and  the  ships  that  come  for  lumber.  Up 
to  the  head  of  the  Inlet,  a  distance  of  three  miles,  extends  Port  Moody,  a  beautiful 
sheet  of  water.  \ar}ing  in  width  from  one-third  to  more  than  half  a  mile,  and  with 
good  anchorage  everywhere.  Vancouver,  charmingly  situated  on  the  south  shore  of 
the  inlet,  had  no  existence  before  the  year  1885,  when  it  became  the  Pacific  terminus 
of  the  "C.  P.  K."  A  year  later,  when  it  had  600  inhabitants,  tlu'  embryo  city  was 
devastated  by  fire.  Its  growth,  its  civic  vitality  and  the  activity  at  its  wharves,  added 
to  the  substantial  apjiearancc?  of  Hastings  Street,  its  chief  thoroughfare,  with  a  popu- 
lation close  upon  20.000,  are  marvellous.  On  the  peninsula,  to  the  west  of  the  town, 
is  Stanley  l^ark.   a  line  reservation  of  original  forest.   940  acres  in  extent. 

British  Columbia  has  had  to  grajiple  with  the  question  of  road  or  railway  con- 
struction from  the  first  da)s  of  the  colony  till  now.  Perl^ips  there  never  was  a 
country  in  the  wide  world  where  the  problem  was  so  difficult,  nor  one  where  with  such 
limited  resources  it  has,  on  the  whole,  been  so  successfully  solved.  How  to  reach  the 
rich  bars  of  the  Frazer,  how  to  get  to  Cariboo  or  the  Big  Bend  of  the  Columbia  or 
Kootaney,  how  to  obtain  railway  connection  with  the  rest  of  the  Dominion,  have  been 
the  great  (|uestions  that    have  successively  agitated   the   public   mind.       Steamboats  can 


or/^!  rici'Ki.soci': 


rOK'l     MOODY. 
\'esscl   toiuajniii;;  \\\>\  »lii|  iiieiit  of  Caiuula  I'aiita   K.  K.  Iroii. 


a'^rend  the  I'niscr  as  far  as  \'alc.  Hcyoiul  that  \  illaL^f,  the  cartons  tliroiit;h  wliich  tlie 
river  l)oils  nial.c  ii:i\iL;ation  too  diHuult  and  daiii^crous  for  ordinarx  traffic.  I'Or  a 
niiinlxT  of  years  alter  1S5S,  N'ale  was  the  j^nat  centre  of  ^old  niinii.^,  or  washing-, 
rather.  l\\cry  s.ind  hir  was  cro\\de(l  with  wliite  men  from  all  lamls  under  the  sun; 
.ind  ^'ale  then  had  the  priiud  [ire-einimiK c  of  lieinj^  the  wicked  'st  place  in  British 
C  ohnnhia.  Now,  onl\-  Chinese  are  at  work  re-washini;'  the  abandoned  claims;  and 
\  ale  is  neither  hetter  nor  worse  than  an\'  other  \illa'.M-  on  the  I'acitic  slope.  'I"he 
scenery  at  \  ale  is  of  tin-  hohlesi,  and  is  characteristiialU  llritish  C'ohimliian.  (iranile 
Mountains  rise  precipilousl\-  from  the  river,  and  emlose  lln'  \illaL;('  ''ii  <'V(r\  side. 
I  here  is  little  -,oil  to  cultivate,  hut  .1  (  hinaman  has  redeemed  a  j^arden  from  the 
mountain  -^ide,  and  it  is  a  specimen  i\'{  what  could  he  done  on  a  larj^cr  scale.  'I  he 
patch  is  ii-ri'^ated  ^o  deltly  with  wat'  1  when  needeil.  or  with  liipiid  manure,  that  there 
is  hardly  a  v  i-lmi,i1)1(  or, fruit  th:it  c.m  he  named,  all  of  the  liest  kinds,  too.  th.it  the 
(pii(  I.  industrious  h  How  is  not  rciidv  to  supplv  \(»u  with.  The  miners  have  conu"  and 
,L;'<>ne.  !■  very  one  L;ave  them  welcoine  wIk  n  thev  c  .un(\  and  shi  il  a  tear,  metaphor- 
i(allv,  when  they  went.  They  took  thi'  iream  from  the  river  hirs  and  left  no  other 
si'_;n.  'I  he  t^ardener  L;()t  no  welrome  and  expeits  no  tear.  IWn.  when  he  trocs,  lie 
haves  something;   li<  hin  ',        The  countrv    is  the   richer  for  his  lahour  for  al!    time. 

It  was  a  ipiestion    wnetlur  the   road    to   Cariboo  .should   )i<_   made   up   the    l'"raser,  or 


.\v>A' Tiii-RX  .\i-:n;iiiu >a' 


A    I' ANON    ON     11  IK     IIi>M  NI'IICO. 


2  74 


Oi  R   /  '/C7  '(yA'/:S(J UH 


by  steamer  from  Victoria  to  the  head  of  Bute  Inlet,  and  waggon-road  thence  up  the 
Homathico.  The  latter  would  have  been  the  shorter  and,  jx-rhaps,  th(;  mort;  pictur- 
esque route.  The  proposed  water  liighwa)'  is  one  of  the  wonderful  tk)rds  that  cut 
their  way  through  iron  snow-capped  mountains  into  the  very  heart  of  the  Cascade 
range.  The  scene  at  the  head  of  the;  Inlet  is  magnilicent.  Cirt;at  mountains,  curtained 
with  glaciers,  rise  almost  perpendicularly  into  the  region  of  eternal  snow.  The  only 
sr  uiul  heard  is  the  muttled  ihunchtr  of  cataracts  leaj)ing  from  bluff  to  bluff,  or  washing 
<lown  the  slippery  rocks  in  broad  white  bamls.  The  cai"^ons  of  the  Homathico  are 
e\cii  grandtM-  than  those  of  the  I'Vaser.  "The  towering  rocks,  thousands  of  feet  high, 
serrated  and  broken  by  dark  chasms  ;  far  above  these  again,  the  snow-clad  peaks,  con- 
nected b)-  huge  glaciers,  out  of  which  issued  torrents  that  fell  in  ca.scades  ;  and  in  a 
deep  gorge  Ix-ncath,  a  mountain  torrent,  whirling,  iKMling,  roaring,  and  huge  boulders 
alwa\  s  in  motion,  muttering,  groaning  like  troubleil  spirits,  and  ever  and  anon  striking 
on  the  ro(  ks,  making  a  report  like  the  booming  of  distant 
artillery.        With    all    this    wildness,    there    is    the    fresh    beauty  ^ 

of  v(!getation.  Wherever  there  is  a  crevice,  to  the  base  of 
the  snow-clad  peaks,  were  clumps  of  evcTgreen  trees,  and 
lower    down    wherever    a     handfid     of    soil    could     rest    it    was 


ON     I'm.    NoKllI     IMnMl'MJiN     KiVt-K. 


X()/r/7//:A',V  NEI(;illH)R  275 

sprinkled  with  wild  llnwers,  amonc;st  which  bloomed  the  sweet  lily  of  the  valley."  The 
I'raser  River  route  was  adopted,  and  a  wagj^on-road,  connectin^^  the  rich  Cariboo 
mines  with  \.\\v.  settlements  on  the  sea,  was  built.  lor  a  youn^j  colony  with  a 
handful  of  people  it  was  a  work  as  wonderful  in  its  way  as  any  of  those  that  ha\e 
immortalized  the  Romans  as  the  threat  road-makers  of  the  workl.  It  had  to  be  hewn 
for  miles  sideways  out  of  rocks  that  rose  almost  per[)endicularly  from  the  x'wv.x  to  the 
heiijlu  of  som(.'times  more?  than  a  thousand  feet,  or  cloven  throusj^h  projectinij  spurs,  or 
built  up  with  crii)-work.  .As  we  wound  alont,'  the  narrow  road,  the  waiL^^on  appearing,' 
at  a  distance  like  an  insert  fin  the  face  of  the  mountain,  brushing;  ajijainst  tlu;  hillsides 
that  rose  abrupll)  far  al)o\c,  and  ^azins^  down  at  the  I'raser  hundreds  of  feet  below — 
at  one  time  a  m.iss  of  sea-L,n'een  water  crested  with  white,  boiling;  ihrout^h  ijjateways  of 
columnar  rocks  appan  iitly  not  a  lunulreil  feet  apart,  at  another  time  a  muddy  torrent 
lu;avy  witii  snow-lields  melted  by  summer  suns— how  could  we  help  payiny^  tribute  to 
tile  pioneers,  the  hearts  of  oak  who  crawled  or  fooled  it  over  these  boundless  savai^*; 
wiklernesses,  animateil  thout,di  they  were  by  no  loftier  passion  than  the  aiiri  stxira 
Jaiiiis  /  And  wlien  they  reached  Cariboo,  what  a  country  for  men  with  no  implements 
but  the  pick  and  slioxi-l  the\'  hail  jjackcnl  on  their  backs!  " /\  molten  sea,  lashed  into 
t^iifantic  billows,  which  at  the  very  hei^dit  of  the  storm  had  been  sucUhnly  petrified." 
these  tumultuous  masses  seamed  with  swollen  creeks  and  Ljulches,  sloj^es  everywhere 
thickK'  wooded,  norj^es  choked  with  fallen  timber,  and  all  supplies  of  food  hundn-ds  of 
miles  away  ! 

The  hartlest  nut  that  enLifineers  and  politicians  have  had  to  crack  has  been  the  rai^- 
wa\  route  throuL^h  British  Columbia.  The  Y(;llow  Hi;ad  Pass,  nc^ar  tlu;  sources  of 
the  Fraser,  formerly  called  Cowduni^^  Lake,  or  Leather  Pass,  was  seleitid  as  a  common 
point  for  a  northern,  central,  or  southern  ocean  terminus  ;  and  after  explorations  Ioul;- 
continued  the  line  was  located  thence  down  the  North  Thompson.  Ihit  when  tlie 
work  was  transf<Tr('(I  i)y  the-  Canailian  Government  to  a  sjndiiate.  an  air  line  from 
W  innipi  ^  was  decided  on,  >nid  the  railway,  therefore,  runs  Ljenerally  aloni;  the  line  t)f 
the  liftitith  or  lifty-first  de-j^ree  of  north  latitude.  Travellers  their  nimiber  incn-ases— 
who  have  had  to  penetrate  the  valley  of  tiie  North  Thompson  will  not  be  -^orry  that 
.1  sunnier  route  has  been  chosen.  W'l-  followed  in  the  track  of  Milton  :ind  Cheaille, 
anil  our  memories,  of  the  q^loomy  valley  are  pretty  much  the  same  as  theirs.  As  with 
most  or  .all  of  the  rivi-rs  of  liritish  Columbia,  it  is  a  i^ori^e  rather  than  a  \alley.  Uni- 
form forests  of  iVwV  u;reen  spruce,  lir,  or  ce'dar  clothe  the  hii^h  hills  that  rise  on  each 
side  of  the  stream,  and  'glimpses  an;  li.iil  every  now  and  then  of  hieher  ranges  of 
snow\'  peaks  be\ond.  TJure  is  timber  for  the  world's  market  for  tin-  ne\'.  few  i  eu- 
turies,   and,   as   f.ir  as  we  could   see,    nothing   more. 

But  tlie  most  wonderfid   thing  in    British   Cohnubia  is    IMr.    Duncan's    Indian    s«-ltle 
ment    at    Metlakahtla.        This    simple    great   man    left    b.ngland    in    |S^-    as    a    lay  agent 


uuK  rirrrRi-sorr: 


•J. 


t^ 

s 


r. 


NORTHERN  NHlGJinOR  277 

of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  to  labour  among  the  i  simshean  tribes  on  the  north 
coast.  He  landed  at  Fort  Simpson,  learned  their  language,  and  did  his  best  there  for 
some  years ;  but  fmding  it  impossible  to  accomplish  permanent  results  where  th<!  sur- 
rounding influence's  on  the  converts  wctc  all  opposed  to  his  teachings,  he,  like  another 
Moses,  proposed  that  they  should  remove  to  a  ]»lace  where  the\"  could  l)egin  a  new 
settlement  under  laws  drawn  up  by  him  and  approved  by  themselves.  They  tell  in 
with  the  proposal  and  pointeil  out  Metlakahtla,  an  old  home  of  their  own,  as  a  suit- 
able Palestine.  When  the  time  for  the  exodus  came,  many  who  had  urt>ed  liim  to 
take  the  decisive  step  drew  back,  and  only  fifty  souls,  men,  women,  and  children, 
accompanied  him.  What  is  to  be  seen  at  Metlakahtla  now?  Lord  DutVerin  in  1876 
told  the  world  of  "the  neat  Indian  maidens  in  Mr.  Duncan's  school  as  modest  and  as 
well  dressed  as  any  clergyman's  daughters  in  an  English  parish,"  and  of  "scenes  of 
primitive  peace  and  innocence,  of  idyllic  beauty  and  material  comfort."  Bishop  Ridley, 
who  visited  it  in  1879,  was  amazed  when  at  the  sound  of  the  church  bell  he  saw  well- 
dressed  Indians  pouring  out  from  the  cottages  on  both  wings  of  the  village,  and  meet- 
ing like  two  strong  currents  at  the  steps  of  their  noble  church,  the  largest  in  iiritish 
Columbia,  and  built  entirely  by  themselves.  "  It  would  be  wrong  to  suppose, "  he  very 
properly  remarks,  "that  the  love  of  (>od  impelled  them  all.  All  without  reasonable 
cause  to  the  contrary  are  expected  to  attend  the  public  services,  A  couple  of  police- 
men, as  a  matter  of  routine,  are  in  uniform,  and  tiiis  is  an  indication  that  loitering 
during  service  hours  is  against  proper  civil  order.  This  whoUsonu,'  restraint  is  pos- 
sible (luring  these  early  stages  of  the  corporate  lift;  of  the  community.  At  present 
one  strong  will  is  su|)reme.  To  resist  it  every  Indian  feels  would  be  as  impossiI)le  as 
to  stop  the  tides.  This  righteous  autocracy  is  as  much  feared  by  the  ungodly  around 
as  it  is  respected  and  adinired  l)y  the  faithful.  "  Alas  that  the  Bishop  should  have 
dashed  himself  against  "  this  righteous  autocracy."  But,  as  long  as  British  Columbia 
is  a  Province,  or  one  streak  of  Indian  blood  runs  in  the  \eins  of  any  of  its  jH-ople,  as 
long  as  the  heart  of  the  Christian  beats  in  sympathy  with  life-long  martyrdom,  so 
long  will  the  name  of  William  Duncan  be  honoun-d,  not  in  Canada  alone,  but  by  the 
Church  universal,  and  most  of  all  '  y  those  who  feel  that  the  white  man  owes  a  debt 
to  the   red  man. 

Entering  British  Columbia  from  the  east  and  proceeding  westward  by  the  line  of 
the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  we  make  the  actpiaintance  of  five  ranges  of  mountains. 
The  Rocky  Mountains  proper  form  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Province.  Descending 
their  western  slopes  b\-  the  valley  of  the  Kicking  Horse,  we  come  upon  the  Columbia, 
swee|)ing  away  to  the  north,  and  see  the  Selkirks  rising  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
apparently  so  impenetrable  that  for  a  long  time  it  was  supposed  that  they  were  clelt 
by  no  pass,  and  that  there  was  no  way  of  contpiering  them  but  by  a  flank  movement 
down  the  Columbia  and  round  by  its  "  Big  Bend."       There   is   a  pass,  however,  and  in 


27S  OUR  /'/c'rrN/iS(juE 

1S63  Mr.  \V.  iviohcrl)-,  C.  V..,  would  have  discovered  it  or  perished  in  the  attempt, 
lull  liis  Indians  refused  to  follow  him,  insisting  that  if  they  went  on  they  would  be 
caught  in  the  snow  and  ne\cr  ;;ct  out  of  the  mountains.  Consetjvseiitly  the  honour  of 
discovering  it  fell  to  Major  Rogers,  C.  K.,  who,  after  repeated  attempts,  succeeded  in 
1SS2,  (•realK'  to  the;  satisfaction  of  tin;  s\ii(licate  that  had  undertakeu  the  constnuiion 
of  the  railway.  Crossing  the  Selkirks  by  the  Rogers  I'ass,  we  come  .again  upon  the 
Columl)ia,  greatly  increased  in  size,  and  now  running  to  the  south,  and  see  thi-  (iold 
range  rising  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  cloven  to  the  fet-t  1)\'  the  I'.agli'  I'ass, 
which  Mr.  W .  MoI)erl\  iliscovttred  in  1S65.  Prexious  lo  this  the  Gcjkl  range  was  sup- 
posed in  ih-itisii  Cohnnliia  to  he.  an  unbroken  and  impassable  wall  of  mountains. 
I'rom  the  summit  of  tiie  I'ass  a  series  of  lakes  e.xtind  westward,  the  largest  known  as 
iiluft,  X'ictor,  Three  Valley,  and  llriffin,  all  strung  liki-  l)eads  on  the  b.agle  Riv<.:r,  and 
emptying  through  it  into  the  e.xcpiisitely  beautiful,  star-sha|ied  Lake  Shuswap.  I'lnuig- 
ing  from  tlie  ilark  blue  waters  of  Lake  Shuswap,  aiul  sailing  ilou  11  llu-  South  Thomp- 
son, we  come  upon  the  elevated  plateau  that  e.xteiuls  from  the  Ciold  rangt;  west  lo  the 
Cascades.  The  physical  character  of  this  intervening  region  is  directly  the  opjiosite 
ol   the  humid  mountainous  country. 

At  Kamloops  the  North  llows  into  the  South  Thompson,  and  tlu;  unitetl  ri\(r 
pursues  its  course  to  the  braser.  liverywhere  the  countr\  is  of  the  same  gemral 
character  —  low  brown  hills  and  i)enches  dottt'il  with  an  occasional  tree,  everywhere  a 
dry,  dusty  look,  except  where  a  little  creek  is  used  to  irrigate  a  llat  or  garden  plot  and 
convert  it  into  a  carpet  or  riband  of  the  freshest  green.  These  bits  of  gn^en  aic  like 
oases  in  a  desert,  beautiful  to  look  upon  .and  \ielding  al)ini(lantl\  excry  \ariety  <>(  fruit 
or  grain.  Irom  \'ale  to  the  (lull  ot  Cieorgia  is  the  I,ow<t  I  r.iser.  or  New  \\  lUniinsler 
district,  pt^rhaps  the  most  valuable  part  of  British  Columl)ia  fioni  .m  agricultural  point 
of  view.  Irrigation  is  not  required  as  in  the  inti'iior,  anil  the  rainfall  is  not  too  ex- 
cessive, as  in  other  |)arts  of  the  coast   region. 

The  best  views  of  the  Cascades  are  obtained  from  the-  deck  of  a  ste.inur  in  the 
mitklle  of  the  Straits  of  (leorgia.  b'rom  \\\r.  same  standpoint  we  see  the  lifth  range, 
counting  from  the  jirairies  of  iIk;  northwest,  a  r.ange  whi(h  has  been  submerged  here 
.and  there  b\  the  i'acilic  Ocean,  but  which  standi  out  grandly  in  the  OKmpian  Moun- 
tains to  tlu-  south  of  the  .Straits  of  I'uc.i,  in  the  noble  serrated  range  lh.it  (  onstitutes 
the  iiack-bone  of  X'aniouxcr  Island,  .and  in  the  <_)ucen  ("harlottc  Isl.uuls  and  the  .Arthi- 
pelago  .away  along  lh<^  coast  of  .Alaska.  This  half-submerged  r.ingi'  protects  the 
m.iinland  shon-s  of  the  Proxinctr  fi'ou)  the  ocean,  and  is  ihr  explan.ition  of  liie  spei- 
tach;  pres<-nted  by  its  toast  line,  whiili  Lord  I>ullerin  declared  "not  to  be  p.n'alhdeil 
In*  any  country  in  the  world.  Day  after  day,"  said  Mis  LNcellcnc)',  "for  a  whole 
week,  in  a  x'essel  of  nearU  j.ooo  tons,  we  threaded  an  interminable  lal)\rinth  of  watery 
lanes  ami   reaches  that  wouiui  endli'ssly  in   and    out    of    a    network    of    islands,  protnon- 


NOR  rmii<i\  NHii.ifnoR 


279 


tories,  and  peninsulas  for  tlioiisands  of  miles,  iinruttled  by  the  slifrjucst  swell  from  tlic 
t'ldjoininj^  ocean,  aiul  |)resentinL;  at  every  turn  an  cxcr  shifting-  comliination  of  rock, 
verdi.ic,   forest,  i^iacier,  and  snow-capped  mountain  of    unrivalled   grandeur  and  beauty." 


Vcvr^- 


VALE. 


From  iIkj  description  just  _>i^Iven  of  Aw.  country  between  the  summit  of  tlie  Rocky 
Mountain,  i'.nd  llie  lon^-  rollci-s  of  the  I'acitii:,  it  is  exident  tlial  P)ritisli  (.'olunil)ia  is 
tilt;  complcnu'.ni.  of  the  northwest.  The  one  is  a  sea  of  mountanis  ;  the  other  a  sea 
of  wa\in;^  o'''^^"'  ''^  smnmer,  an  uni)roken  expanse  of  snow  in  winter.  Hut  just  as  the 
fcrlih;  ancl  illimilaijie  |)lains  .md  prairies  of  the  northwest  are  tlixcrsilietl  b)  ranges  of 
.sandhills  and  ahrujit  steppes  or  ancient  beaches,  by  alkali  llats  and  tleepl\  eroded  val- 
leys, so  the  successive  rau'^cs  of  mii^litx-  mountains  btn'ond  are  seamed  and  separateil 
by  j^reat  rivers  or  arms  of  the  si-a  whose  sands  are  golden  and  whose  channels  are 
ciioked  with  lish,  while  stretches  of  i)astoral  laml  offi-r  the  best  food  in  the  world  foi' 
horses,  cattle,  and  sliee[),  aiul  every  here;  and  tluM'e  pleasant  nooks  by  lakes  and  rive 
boitoin  ,  ma\-  be  made  to  briny  forth  for  a  laryc  population  and  to  blossom  as  the 
garden  of  tlu;   Lord.     The    Province    is  in  its    infancy,  and,  like   every  other  country  in 


a8o  OUk   I'lCTiRIiSQUli 

tlu;    nineteenth    century,  in    haste    to    be    filled    up    and  become  rich.       Let  it   have   pa- 
tience.       Its    time    will    come  :    for    Lord    Dufferin    was    not    too    enthusiastic    when    he 
called   it  a    'glorious    Province."         There    is    other    wealth  than   that  which   comes  from 
the  labour  of  the    farmer.       A  vein  of   gold-bearing   cjuartz   or  argentiferous  galena  will 
draw  men  with  pick  and  shovel  from  the   ends  of  the   earth,  and  build  up  a  town  in  a 
month.       An  acre    of  water  on   the    lower  I'raser,  or  on    one   of  the    innumerable  inlets 
that  cut  deep  into    island  and  mainland,   will  yield  more    than    the    richest   prairie  farm. 
These  pastures  of  the   sea   are   exhaustless,  for  as  fast  as  they  are   cropped  the  Pacific 
contributes  fresh  supplies,  and  the  fisherman    does    not    need  to    till    and    feed  the    soil 
from  which  he  expects  to  reap.       A  spar  of   Douglas  pine  is   worth    more    than    a  field 
of   wheat.       And    the    coal    of    Nanaimo    is    the    best   on    the    Pacific   coast.       All    that 
Hritish    Columbia    needs   for  its    full  development  is  labour.       Therefore,  let  it  welcome 
every  kind  of  labour  that  offers  to  cultivate    its    soil,  work    in    its   canneries,  dig    in    its 
mines,  or  build  its  roads.       All    such    labour    enriches    a    country,    no    matter   who  the 
labourers  may  be,  no  matter  whether  they  eat  pork  and  rice    or  beef   and  potatoes,  no 
matter  whether  the)'  smoke  opium  or  drink  whiskey.       Make  laws  against   all    kinds   of 
immorality  and  uncleanness  that  law  can  reach  ;  prohibit  both  opium   and   whiskey,  but 
encourage  labour.      Labour  is  capital,  the  only  capital  that  can  be  depended  on  and  that 
needs  the  least  regulation  by  politicians.       Therefore,  not  only  because    God    loves  the 
world,   not  only  because  all  men  are  free  —  free  to  sell  their  labour  and  enjoy  its  fruits 
— hut  because  the  common  weal  is  most   promoted  when  the  rights  of  the  meanest  are 
respected,   British  Columbia  should  scorn  to  imitate    the    anti-social    legislation    of    Cali- 
fornia.      Looking  at  the  Chinaman   in  no  other  light    than    a   piece   of    machinery,  wel- 
come him.      Machinery  is  just  what  such  a   Province  needs.     It  can  never  be  developed 
except    by    the    use    of    all    kinds    of    labour-saving    machines.        Of    course   every   new 
machine,  and  even  every  improvement  in    machinery,  displaces    labour   to   some    extent. 
Hardships    may   have    to    be  suffered  by  a  class  for  a  time  ;    but  in  the  end  all  will  be 
benefited.       Never   did    five    millions   of    people    make   greater   sacrifices   to   bind   them- 
selves into  material  unity  than    Canadians    are    now    making.       What    is   the   sentiment 
that    animates   us  ?       A    faith    that    the    British  name  and   British  institutions  are  worth 
making  sacrifices  for.       Our  flag  symbolizes  a    wonderful    past,  and    the    chief    glory   of 
that  past    from  the    days    of    Alfred,  the   Barons   of  Runnymede,   Hampden,  or  Sydney, 
is  the   memory  of  ancestors  who    have  willingly  died  for  the  good  old    cause    oi   human 
freeUom.       VVe  cannot  live  where  men  are  treated  as  anything  less  than  men. 


